THE EUROPEAN JOURNALS 319 



banquiers, or head thieves, better call them, are lank and 

 pale, their countenances as unmoved as their hearts. 

 From here we went to the establishment of Franconi, 

 where I saw wonderful feats of horsemanship. 



September 17. There is absolutely nothing to be done 

 here to advance my subscription list, and at two o'clock I 

 went with Swainson to a marchand naturaliste to see some 

 drawings of birds of which I had heard. They were not 

 as well drawn as mine, but much better painted. 



September 18. I went to install Parker at Baron Cu- 

 vier's. He had his canvas, etc., all ready and we arrived 

 at half-past nine, too early quite. J At ten, having spent 

 our time in the apartment of th^Giraffe, Parker went in 

 to take a second breakfast, and I to converse with Mile. 

 Cuvier. The Baron came in, and after a few minutes to 

 arrange about the light, sat down in a comfortable arm- 

 chair, quite ready. Great men as well as great women 

 have their share of vanity, and I soon discovered that the 

 Baron thinks himself a fine-looking man. His daughter 

 seemed to know this, and remarked more than once that 

 her father's under lip was swelled more than usual, and 

 she added that the line of his nose was extremely fine. 

 I passed my fingers over mine, and, lo ! I thought just the 

 same. I see the Baron now, quite as plainly as I did this 

 morning; an old green surtout about him, a neck-cloth, 

 that might well surround his body if unfolded, loosely tied 

 about his chin, and his silver locks like those of a man 

 more bent on studying books than on visiting barbers. 

 His fine eyes shot fire from under his bushy eyebrows, 

 and he smiled as he conversed with me. Mile. Cuvier, 

 asked to read to us, and opening a book, read in a clear, 

 well accentuated manner a comic play, well arranged to 

 amuse us for a time, for sitting for a portrait is certainly 

 a great bore. The Baroness joined us; I thought her 

 looks not those of a happy person, and her melancholy 

 affected me. The Baron soon said he was fatigued, rose 



