Year: 1878




- :.
THE FASCINATING DUCHESS


Marx IVAN Adventure in the Iardn Mabs


On my ARRIVAL at Paris inquired whai
was the best place to spend an evening
and was told the most sristocratic plaa
of resort was in the Jardin Mabille.
too cab and proceeded thither. Hound
myself in a beautiful garden, brilliantly
lighted. There was a crowd of ladies and
gentlemen, a fine band was playing and
A quadrille forming. While was gazing
about a gentleman asked me if wished
to dance. / said | would like to, but
that I was q stranger and not acquainted
with any Of the nobility present. He
smiled and said the French nobility were
exceedingly afable and obligipg, and that
he would be plea-ed to introduce me to
a lady OF high rank and varied accom-.
plishments, who would dance with me if
l wished. Then he presented me to the
Duchess d. d'Assatetida CHATS as near az
could the catch name).


I had never stood face to face with a
duchess beiors, and therefore felt diffident
and i'll at ease. The graceful creature un.
derstood my case at once, and within
two or three minutes made me feel per
fectly at home-more than at home, l
may say. I never met a lady so easy
to get acquainted with as she
was. It must require a high
cultivation, only to be attained in the
upper ranks of society, to give one such
seIfpossession as hers. This duchess
smiled upon me in the most encouraging
way, and tapped me on the shoulder with
her fan, and then she looked up into my
face and charmed away all my embarass.
ment with a burst OF CHEEKY laughter
that was full of happiness and garlic.


Next, she took my srm, beating time
to tie music with her fan, and still
uttering that fragrant laughter. Next,
she put her atm around my neck. This
was somewhat unexpected, 1 must say
It made me feel blissfully uncomfortable.
/ enjoyed it, but at the same time, Hyas
afraid it might attract attention. l inti-
mated rs gently as I could, that the duke,
her father, might be in the crowd some
where; but she only laughed more
odorously than ever. Iieared the pater-
nal duke might invite me to breakfast
on pistols and coffee. ] like coffee, but /
do not consider that it improves it to
mix it with hardware. This hinted to
the duchess. aud she received it with one
of those peculiar laughs OF hers that was
perfectly smothering.


Just then the music struck up furi.
ously; the duchess exclaimed, " Come ?
and dashed away with me. The
crowd closed up to our set, and
walled it on every side. had never
before seen so much curiosity displayed
in a mere quadrille by disinterested par
ties. Dukes and duchesses began to
prance to and fro in the dance with wild
energy Of purpose and extravaganza Of
gesture.


I began to get interested. 1 glanced
across, my partner was just turning
she miscalculated the length other limbs
and lifted her dress accordingly; she
came prancing over / sailed forth to
meet her, and when we were within
yard OF each other, wish l may never
be believed again if she did not kick the
hat off of my head stopped TO pick it
up and a noble aristocrat fell over me
others followed him-both ladies aud
gentlemen-and I never saw such
chaos of struggling limbs and frantic
drapery since the benches broke down at
the circus when I was boy. 1t was
lure good fortune that nobody got hurt.


When 1 got out went to my place at
the head of the quadrille and stayed
there. had lost confidence; this dance
was too high toned for me. 1t had
pecuiiarities about it that were new and
unexpected. / had seen plenty Of qua
driIles, but l had never ssen one with
the variations before. The duchess re-
sumed her mad career, and the resi OF
the nobility danced just as she did.
Each sex seemed to have but one object
in view-to outdo its opposite in violence
of action and eccentricity of conduct.
These French people are very Freneby'
If it had not known that these people
we're the flower of the FreDch
nobility I should have thought that
they began their education IL
gymnasium and graduated in cireds-


The first time the duchess stopped by
my side for a moment, 1 whispered tOner
to calm her gushing spirits, not TO meddie
with her dress, and, for public opinion
sake. not to step so high. said she couid
get over Just as much ground at mod
.erate gait and, beside, the noble grsDo
duke, her father might happen along ~
anv moment. l might as well have taxed
TO the wind. She only laughed that
characteristic laugh of hers, that silEeiy
laugh that l could recognize anywhere Il
were to the Ieeward, and then, bending
little, she grabbed up the sides OF her
apparel with both hands, began TO JERK
it 10 and fro in a violent manner, threw
her magnificent head back and skipped
furiously away on an Irish Jig STEP al
excitement, wild hilarity, distracted COS
tune. frenzied motion A spectacle 70
seal the eye-oalls and to astonish the soul
of a hermitl And when she reached snF
centre she snatched her cumbering dresses


rec and launched kick at the hat oi
tall nobleman that fsirly lsoseneo Inc
scalp on top of his head. 1 fed the scene
exclaiming. "what can che mean oy s''cn
conduct as those ?"


/ admire Paris; but, in my opinion
the ways of its nobility are not W1'a'
they ought TO be-.