The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-27
Monsieur GgOn.

his advertisement for pupils in the morn
ing paper and wrote to him for terms. He
answered in person
The door bell of my pension sent a shriII.
plaintive little peal across the smoky
cOurtyard-I did not know what a tremh-
ling pale old hand had pulled it-then the
singe:bread-colored face of the Creole
maid appeared ut my door and was told:
Oar be er gin'elmin ter see mann sele"
A slender. white-halred, white-mus-
tached, little old gentleman rose from the
corner of the sofa as l entered the parlor
and introduced himself as Monsieur
Gigon, professeur
lie wore dress suit. which. though not
exactly shabby. seemed Of somewhat an
cient cut and as II It had been brought out
of Some place where 1t had been neatly
folded away for long time. It had very
long sioping coat tails Of which he was ex-
tremely careful when he reseated himself.
l sat down opposite him. and the flood
Of afternoon sunshine pouring through the
window behind him showed me 4 thin
hatchet-shaPed face almost the color OF
leather. with a dapper goatee and long
moustachios. lately trimmed. and large
eyes of so pale a grey that they we're al
most the hue of glass.
His lower jaw trembled continually, and
n
kept folding them one over the other
He began to talk Of the lessons | wished
TO take, and in spite OF the strong re-
straint that he was putting upon himself
could not help noticing that once or
twice his eyes fairly darkentd with eager
ness-said that he could give them at my
pension or in his classroom the days and
hours that would be most convenient TO
me.
You have a classroom ] said
"Oh. yes,' he replied. in a pompous
sweep of the hand. quite at your service.
Tnaderoiseile.'
Wednesdays and Fridays. at IL ociock?"
He paused a moment and pulled his
goatee refectively. Mo- he announced
at last in decided tone.
Then ] shall come on those days TO
your classroom, for the parlor here is so
often occupied that II would not be con-
venient TO take my lessons at the house.
Very good, mademoiselic." ne replied.
hriskiy. rising and making me profound
bow. ''On Wednesday. then, and au
plaisir de vous Voir." II was not the sum
shine that so suddenly frightened his eyes
and quickened his gestures. | think.
He bowed himself out OF the room and
down the stairs with so much animation
that l had Il vague sense OF having as
sisted at some kind of transformation OF
personalits.
On Wednesday I presented myself at
the class room ! remembered u. GigOn's
having put 1t ''at my service" with 50
ccremonious a tone and gesture when |
entered. 1t was merely ten by twelve
garnet. diuly lighted by one small window
and door and furnished with a wooden
table without 4 cover and two Or three
shelves of Hainteresting-lOo books.
There was dust and dirt everywhere. "a
II the landlady never remembered 1t in her
rounds. ] do not think she did nor him.
either save on rent days. NJ. Gig0n ap-
peared presently. shOrH of the splendor of
his dress coat and wearing In It's stead an
odd species of morning jacket that re-
minded me more than anything else of
those short, flowing sacks which French
Creole ladies' in reduced circumstances
wear in the forenoon when they are max
Ing their MENACE
after a preface of elaborate apologies,
h. begged my permission to put on a lttie
round black cap which he was carrying in
his hand. and which, he said, helped his
neuralgia.
The cap donned, we sat down to our les
son. The classic had chosen to read was
the "1phigenle" of Racine and there SEEM
ed certain correspondence to my sur
rour iings and to the professor in the edi-
tio1. l had bought it at an ancient-srnell-
ing secondhand boOkshop on Rue Royale,
and II had a faded brown cloth cover with
miIdew spots here and there. and the title
in faded ink on slip OF paper; pasted
to one side
book my teacher frightened visiby, and
remarked with enthusiasm: "Ah. the
ks. they were brave people "a
s-eeCh which he made always with the
same warmth at the commencement OF
each succeeding lesson. II l have yet an
undue amount of admiration for the an
clients to the prejudice Of the moderns, it
NAV he attributed to Monsieur GisOn's
pcrse~erinS medication.
He was a very painstaking. patient in
structor, plOwins through the same
phrase with me half a dozen times. to be
sure that l had caught the exact sense
Of II. and encouraging me often when he
felt that ! had at last mastered II by eX-
claiming with uplifted. pale eyes: La
FOEtaine Racine. and Beranger. they
were the perfect writer's.
If Idy lesson were finished within the
hour w.. sometimes had short talks about
Mexico. where Il GiE9u had learned
Spanish. lie spoke of that country with
Grite the experienced air Of great trav-
eier-th0uEh IL seems that it was the sol
itarT voyage he mad made IN his life Be-
sides the passage from Bordeaux TO Amer
lea. lie loved to recall the blue Mexican
sky. the warmth of the sun there. the
u-1 i'cauty of f-pits ami vesetables-and
the beautiful Vcmen. But there are
beautiful women eVe-yH here he would
co-cI1Ge. This vas itle piece Of gen
crdl rallantTy that Ie always aired. when,
ever he had specidlfzed as to the physical
perfection Of the women of any country,
whether they were Greek. French, Ameri-
cav. or Mexican. From which I inferred.
lonely bachelor as he was, that my pre-
fHssor. true "a his ma ton, was universal
Isl in his adUiTa ton of the fair sex
one morning when / entered the class
room. on whose shelves, among the dusty
books. / began often Ia see small red
walls now. / found NJ. Gigon before the
table aupareutiy jotting down hero
,siyI..lics Ia a small noteboci. and with a
piie uf uew-lOahinS Class books before
him.
rs he an Egyptian scholar too
asked myself, as ! laid my copy OF
I'd TV.l, IT, he la
lie looked up in some confusion. then
rose. DOTTED his cap. and SAID; Made
rnoiseile finds me at my studies this morn
ing ] am learning stenosraphy.'
Something harder than French / en-
quired.
working at It alone now six weeks, and
can write it very we'll" His old forehead
er isw and hands were shaking more pit
ifulr in unison tIan usual, in spite OF the
EChtness of his task.
Won see" he said. putting his own
books aside and taking up "lphseniy. Z
p not always so easy to get French and
= laulsh scholars. and 1t does not pay very
" I'll. then. Now this stenusrdphy pays
very wei. they tell me. ana many people
ar learning II these days. II is he thing
10 learn you know. Now. il a few more
yrerks. when I shall know il better. per-
haps / shall be able to form a class ana
teach il.
lie did not look at me as he thus laid
bare this perilous ambition of his hut
straiGhtened himself proudly in his chair
and began to search for the second scene
If the third act I'm "IphlPeuie. M Gigon
rsrlNt be given to the weakness of the
renetltior of his sentiments on matters in
General but this was the first time AZ our
hat he had ever allowed me
Ia catch a glimpse Of his real circum-
stances. This had happened by iradver-
tence now, for I had come in Some min
rtcs before my hour; otherwise his books
tba Gba1f nd h