THE HANDSOME MODEL. *}3 



not to be found in the whole capital a man who could compare with him. 

 Flourishing his bludgeon in one hand, ratling his five-franc pieces in the 

 other, and with his chin buried in his neckcloth which almost covered his 

 mouth, he gave himself up to pleasure, escorted his fair ones to /' Ik d' Amour 

 and Kokoli, and became for three weeks the most admired man in the vaga- 

 gond society he frequented. 



But seven louis will not last long when one launches oat in first-rate 

 style. Rossignol was brought down to his last crown, and he looked with 

 horror to the time when, for a similar sum, he would have to attitudinize for 

 at least eight hours a much less agreeable way of passing the time 

 than in waltzing or dancing quadrilles. When one has revelled in pleasure 

 for three weeks, labour becomes more than ever painful ; besides Rossignol 

 had always been an idle fellow. He carried back his coat to its old place of 

 deposit, and the produce enabled him to keep up the ball a short time longer. 

 But this money spent, he had no resource remaining ; and since he had de- 

 prived his wife of an article which she thought secure from even his rapacity, 

 Mme. Rossignol took right good care to leave nothing whatever in her house 

 which he could turn to any account. It was high time, then, to become 

 once more a Greek or Roman ; but the remembrance of his departed pleasures 

 agitated the model, and prevented him from standing motionless. The artists 

 complained of his restlessness ; and Rossignol attributed to pains in his legs 

 the gesticulations which escaped him, when he thought of the delicious life 

 he had been so lately spending. 



One fine day, whilst enacting Antinous, Rossignol recollected me, and 

 thought by putting my good heart and inexperience to a fresh trial, it would 

 be easy to make money. This bright idea flashed all at once on his mind ; 

 he was astonished at never having thought of it before, and at the conclusion 

 of the sitting he ran to take his post before M. Dermilly's door ; but he 

 waited in vain for several days, for M. Dermilly was not then in Paris. 

 However, Rossignol was determined on seeing me. The more he reflected 

 on my simplciity and credulity, the more I struck him as a treasure, to 

 which, with a little management, he might have constant recourse. The 

 sum I had been master of made him conclude that I had a great deal of 

 money at my own disposal. Impatient to find me, he at last recollected that 

 I told him I lived with M. le Comte de Francornard, where I was over- 

 whelmed with kindness. At once he set himself en route, and after inquiring 

 for M. le Comte de Francornard in every quarter in Paris, he at length 

 found out the direction of his hotel. 



Rossignol immediately brushed his old oil-stained coat, cleaned his shoes 

 with a crumb of bread for want of English blacking, pulled up his trowsers 

 as much as possible to conceal the rents, covered his mouth with his neck- 

 cloth, balanced his hat over his left ear, made two immense curls over his 

 right eye, and his stick in his right hand, the left stuck in his side, he strode 

 in the most audacious manner towards the hotel of M. le Comte, picking his 

 steps on tiptoe as if he was afraid of dirtying his dress. When he entered 

 the court-yard, the porter stopped him : " Where are you going, sir ?" Ros- 

 signol replied confidently, " To see my friend/' and passed on. But as there 

 was nothing in his appearance to recommend him, the porter ran out of his 

 lodge, and barring his passage, said, " Pray who is your friend ?" " My 

 friend, young Andrew M. le Comte's adopted son." " Adopted son ?" 

 " To be sure little Francornard, if you like it better." " Little Francor- 

 nard?" " Yes don't you understand me?" " M. le Comte has no son; 

 he has only a daughter." " Sacre lieu! I tell you yes. I saw him not 

 more than four months ago beautiful as the sun he came from hence a 

 young man of about twelve, but who looks full fourteen." " Ah, little 

 Andrew you mean madame's protegee." " What the devil does it matter 

 whether he is the protegee of madame or monsieur ! He lives here, doesn't 



