Enjolras, by far the prettiest of the three cats, could be identified by
his large and lion-like head, his well-whiskered cheeks, strong
shoulders, long back, and a superb tail which expanded like a plume.
There was something theatrical and emphatic about him, and he was
addicted to _poses_ like a favorite actor. His slow and undulating
movements were full of majesty. He could be trusted to walk over
consoles loaded with treasures in china and Venice glass, so
circumspectly did he order his footsteps. He was not much of a Stoic in
character, and his taste for dainties would have horrified his namesake
Enjolras, that sober and pure young man, who would doubtless have said
to him, as the angel did to Swedenborg, “Thou eatest too much.” This
gluttonous turn, which was as droll as that of a gastronomic monkey, was
indulged; and Enjolras attained a size and weight most unusual in a
domestic cat. The idea occurred to us to have him shaved like a poodle,
in order to complete his resemblance to a lion. A mane was left to him,
and one thick tuft of hair at the end of his tail. We will not swear
that it was not part of the original design to furnish him with
leg-of-mutton whiskers like those in the portrait of Munito. Thus
accoutred, he looked, it must be confessed, less like a lion of the
jungle or of the Cape than like a Japanese chimera. Never was a more
absurd whim carried out upon the body of a living animal. His hair was
shaved so closely that it showed the skin, which exhibited odd bluish
tones, and contrasted in the most extraordinary way with the blackness
of his mane.
Gavroche, as if to suit with the character of his namesake in the novel,
was a cat of a crafty and furtive disposition. Smaller than Enjolras,
his agility was most comical and surprising. His substitutes for the
jokes and slang of the Paris _gamin_ were capers, somersaults, and
ludicrous motions. We are forced to confess that, notwithstanding these
attractive qualities, Gavroche never lost an opportunity of stealing out
of the parlor in order to join in the street or courtyard with vagabond
cats,—
“Of any sort of birth, and blood unknown to fame,”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account