The Adventures of a Modest Man

sseur of the H?tel des Michetons-"m

I added, "the world is a planet of no unusual magnitude, inhabited by bipeds

H?tel des Micheton

go away. Why should I not forget you? Are you historical,

exed, twirled his gold-band

one solitary thing for me besi

p, smiled, and hopefully he

mile and prompt salute are certainly worth something to see, but what their precise value may be you can only determine when, on returning to New York, you hear a gripman curse a woman for crossing the sacred t

it was full

tion of Paris resembled a s

ere in Paris there existed French newspapers, French people, and Frenc

to be a well situated, modest, clean hotel, and not only thoroughly respectable-which the great gilded H?tel des Michetons was not-but als

ers, but I insisted on trying it for a week, desiring that my daughte

all appeared to be afflicted in one way or another. I myself had noticed that many of the gu

ness and inbred curiosity, and dismissed the subject from my mind. The hotel was pretty clean and highly respectable. Titled names were not wanting among the guests, and

as we three strolled out of our ho

?" I

boulevard is beautiful, and I had always p

ith a shudder as a black-eyed young girl, in passi

rter-these ancient gardens, with their groves of swaying chestnuts all in bloom, quaint weather-beaten statues in a grim semicircle looking

of Marie de Medici, here come the nursemaids with their squalling charges, to sit on the marble benches and

he foliage of the southern terrace. "Not Punch and Judy-oh, I have

etty girls and gay young officers, while, from the pulpit, Punch held forth amid screams of infantile de

fficer," said Alid

g at Dulcima in that slightly mischievous yet

not appear t

plucking me by the sleeve. "Don't you remember how nice he was when we were so

eye-such a bright, intelligent, mischie

hand glued to the polished visor of his c

did? He gave up his entire day to sho

led up in the sky like an Eastern temple, and the beautiful old palace of the Luxembourg. Also, we beheld the Republican Guards, à cheval, marching out of their barracks on the Rue de Tournon; and a splend

the sky. Under its majestic shadow the Boulevard St. Michel ran all green and gold with gas-jets already lighte

were perfectly proper for us

d extremely doubtful, but

r," he said, twisting his short blond mo

aptain de Barsac and myself thrown out in

éret appeared to be the favorite headgear. At least a third of the throng was made up of military students from the Polytechnic, from Fontainebleau, and from Saint-Cyr. Set in the crowded terraces like bunches of blossoms were chattering groups of girls-bright-eyed, vivaci

afé de la Source, with its cascade of falling water and its miniature mill-wheel turning under a crimson glow of light; here was the famous Café Vachette, celebrated as the centre of all Lat

sounding incessantly; cabs dashed up to the cafés, deposited their loads of student

e trees, turning the warm tender green of the chestnut leaves to a wonderful pale

cene should not be entirely respe

to me, "could not exist unl

to shock anybody; and, under escort, there is no earthly reason why decent women of

not only truly the father of the man, but also his instructor and interpreter-to that same man's astonishment and horror. It may always have been so-even before the days when our theatres were first licensed to instruct our childre

the fragrant May evening, until we came to the gilded railing which encirc

tesy of a well-bred Frenchman; and he seemed to be grateful for the privilege of

us, though his devotion to Dulcima both o

said I, "at the H

me so earnestly that I

repeated, looking from me to Du

able?" I demanded,

r. It is, of course, the ver

ind?" I

t you came to Paris for that. I am so sorry, so deepl

gazed earnest

t you, mademo

stared at each oth

e is the matter with

Barsac look

with the guests there?"

course, they are a

" I cried nervous

ou went to that hotel not knowing? Did you not

-plaster or carry their arms

ld-Russia, Belgium, Spain," murmured

ac, radiantly; "then you are

for what?

roph

around my shri

ima threw back her pretty head and burst into an uncontrollable gale of laughter; and there we stood on the sidewalk, laughing an

y old café-the Café Jaune. I hadn't been there in over twenty years; I passed among crowded tables, sk

d the icy glass to my lips, over t

vieux?" he sai

seems natural-especially

does,"

ber? And that was Dillon's seat-and Smithy and Palmyre-Oh, Lord!-And Seabury always had that other

usu

rri

very

does he

iladel

d for

, thoughtfully. "Well-it's a f

Seabury's marriage was fun

at Williams,

our professional

e harm in my enveloping it

d, resignedly

ght, mo