Graham's Magazine, Vol. XXXIV, No. 2, February 1849Various
General
Graham's Magazine, Vol. XXXIV, No. 2, February 1849
Various
Literature -- Periodicals; Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals
“I have brought with me some Indian ink, and I beg you will permit me to
make a picture of your right foot.”
“What a Chinese idea!” cried the _danseuse_, with a rich burst of merry
laughter. “Do you call that a favor? Take your crayon, dear doctor, I
give you up my foot; will you copy it _au naturel_, or in an odalisque’s
sandal?”
“I will paint it as it is at this moment.”
“As you like; meantime I will amuse myself and little sister by admiring
your thirty fans.”
At the third fan I had a striking resemblance of the wonderful foot. The
_danseuse_ glanced at it and uttered a cry of admiration, saying,
“Dear doctor, you have taken it with a dash of the pencil.”
“Mademoiselle,” answered I, “it is said of me that I could copy the
wind, if I could see it pass. I have copied your foot which is more
agile than the wind.”
“If you continue these compliments, doctor, I am afraid I shall fall in
love with you; I, who the other day shut my door in the face of a Greek
prince and two bankers.”
The candor of innocence was imprinted on the features of the _danseuse_;
and I bowed my head in reverence before this ingenuous woman, who
unveiled her heart to me without reserve. In taking leave of her I was
allowed to touch with my lips the ends of fingers which rivaled her feet
in beauty.
The Secretary for Foreign Affairs awaited me at five o’clock, to inquire
concerning the ceremonies used at Zhe-hol and at Pekin, at the reception
of European ambassadors, and to sound me in regard to certain political
secrets relating to the Chinese empire and Queen Victoria.
During the audience I experienced many distractions and made many
mistakes. May Ti-en grant that my errors may not one day cause trouble
to the Celestial Empire. Whilst the great minister of the Christians was
speaking to me, I was thinking of the foot of Mademoiselle Alexandrine
St. Phar! You see that that foot will overturn Pekin yet!
After dinner, a perfumed billet, the paper of which resembled a
butterfly’s wing, was brought to me, and I read as follows:
“DEAR DOCTOR,—I hear that you have brought to this country numberless
Chinese curiosities. Dileri, your charming god-daughter, is so much
delighted in looking at your fans, that she longs to know all the wealth
of her godfather; a childish folly! But I have promised her to visit you
to-morrow at 12 o’clock.
“Your god-daughter kisses you between the eyes, and I place you at my
feet.
“ALEXANDRINE ST. PHAR.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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