Bohemian Paris of To-day: Second Edition — John Shaqi
Bohemian Paris of To-day: Second EditionMorrow, W. C.
History
Bohemian Paris of To-day: Second Edition
Morrow, W. C.
Bohemianism; Paris (France) -- Social life and customs
Every consommation is served with a saucer, upon which is marked the
price of the drink, and the score is thus footed à la fin de ces joies.
There are some heavy accounts to be settled with the garçons.
"_Ah! voilà Beeshop!" "Tiens! mon vieux!" "Comment vas-tu?_" clamored
a half-dozen of Bishop's feminine acquaintances, as they surrounded our
table, overwhelming us with their conflicting perfumes.
[Illustration: 0139]
These denizens of the Boul' have an easy way of making acquaintances,
but they are so bright and mischievous withal that no offence can be
taken; and they may have a stack of saucers to be paid for. Among the
many _café_ frequenters of this class fully half know a few words
of English, Italian, German, and even Russian, and are so quick of
perception that they can identify a foreigner at a glance. Consequently
our table was instantly a target, principally on account of Mr. Pugson,
whose nationality emanated from his every pore.
[Illustration: 0141]
"Ah, milord, how do you do? I spik Engleesh a few. Es eet not verra
a beautiful night?" is what he got. "You are si charmant, monsieur!"
protested another, stroking Bishop's Valasquez beard; and then, archly
and coaxingly, "_Qu'est-ce que vous m'offrez, monsieur? Payez-moi un
bock?_ Yes?" Mr. Pugson made the garçons start. He ordered "everything
and the best in the house" (in English); but it was the lordliness of
his manner that told, as he leaned back in his chair and smoked his
Londrès and eyed Madeleine with intense satisfaction. In the eyes of
the beholders that action gave him the unmistakable stamp of an American
millionaire. "Tell you, boys," he puffed, "I'm not going to forget Paree
in a hurry." And Mademoiselle Madeleine, how she revelled! Mr. Pugson
bought her everything that the venders had to sell, besides, for
himself, a wretched plaster cast of a dancing-girl that he declared was
"dead swell."
"I'll take it home and startle the natives," he added; but he didn't,
as we shall see later. Then he bought three big canes as souvenirs for
friends, besides a bicycle lamp, a mammoth pipe, and other things. A
hungry-looking sketch artist who presented himself was engaged on the
spot to execute Mr. Pugson's portrait, which he made so flattering as to
receive five francs instead of one, his price.
At a neighboring table occupied by a group of students was Bi-Bi-dans-
la-Purée, one of the most famous characters of the Quartier and
Montmartre. With hilarious laughter the students were having fun with
Bi-Bi by pouring the contents of their soup-plates and drinking-glasses
down his back and upon his sparsely covered head; but what made them
laugh more was Bi-Bi's wonderful skill in pulling grotesque faces. In
that line he was an artist. His cavernous eyes and large, loose mouth
did marvellous things, from the ridiculous to the terrible; and he could
literally laugh from ear to ear. Poor Bi-Bi-dans-la-Purée!
[Illustration: 0143]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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