The French Governess; or, the Embroidered handkerchief. A romance

Front matter

BEASLEY COLLECTION. THE GOVEENESS: A ROMANCE. J. FENIMORE COOPER, AUTHOR OF "THE PILOT," "*THE SPY," '" THE RED ROVER," ETC. "The Handkerchief, Cassio, the Handkerchief!" LONDON: JOHN NEALE, 25, TAVISTOCK STREET, CO VENT GARDEN. MDCCCXLIV. PRINTED BY W. LAKE, 170, FLEET STREET, LONDON. on, THE FRENCH POCKET-HANDKERCHIEF. CHAPTER!. Certain moral philosophers, (says Le Mouchoir, a French embroidered pocket-handkerchief, and no inconsiderable personage in this autobiographical romance,) with a due disdain of the flimsy foundation of human pride, have shown that every man is equally descended from a million of ancestors, within a given number of generations ; thereby demonstrating that no prince exists who does not participate in the blood of some beggar, or any beggar who does not share in the blood of princes.

Although favoured by a strictly vegetable descent myself, the laws of nature have not permitted me to escape from the influence of this common rule. The earliest accounts I possess of my progenitors represent them as a goodly growth of the Linum Usitatissimum divided into a thousand contemporaneous plants, singularly well-conditioned, and remarkable for an equality that renders the production valuable. In this particular, then, I may be said to enjoy a precedency over the Bourbons themselves, who now govern no less than four different states of Europe, and who have sat on thrones these thousand years. While our family has followed the general human law in the matter just men tioned, it forms a marked exception to the rule that so , absolutely controls all of white blood, on this continent, in what relates to immigration and terretorial origin.

When the American enters on the history of his ancestors, he is driven, after ten or twelve generations at most, to seek refuge in some country in Europe ; whereas exactly the reverse is the case with us, our most remote extraction being American, while our more recent construction and education have taken place in Europe. When I speak oi the " earliest accounts I possess of my progenitors," an authentic information is only meant ; for, like other races, we have certain dark legends that might possibly carry us back again to the old world in quest of our estates and privileges. But, in writing this history, it has been my determination from the first, to record nothing but settled truths, and to reject every thing in the shape of vague report or unauthenticated anecdote. Under these limitations, I have ever considered my family as American by origin, European by emigration, and restored to its paternal soil by the mu tations and calculations of industry and trade.

Chapter II

It is scarcely necessary to dwell on the scenes which occurred between the time I first sprang from the earth and that in which I was " pulled." The latter was a melancholy day for me, however, arriving prematurely as regarded my vegetable state, since it was early determined that I was to be spun into threads of unnsual fineness. — I will only say, here, that my youth was a period of innocent pleasures, during which my chief delight was to exhibit my simple but beautiful flowers, in honour of the hand that gave them birth. At the proper season the whole field was laid low, when a scene of hurry and confusion succeeded, to which I find it ex ceedingly painful to turn in memory. The " rotting" was the most humiliating part of the process which followed, though, in our case, this was done in clear running water, and the * crack ling" the most uncomfortable.

Happily, we were spared the anguish which or dinarily accompanies breaking on the wheel, though we could not be said to have entirely escaped from all its parade. Innocence was our shield, and, while we endured some of the disgrace which attaches to mere forms, we had that con solation of which no cruelty or device can deprive the unoffending. Our sor rows were not heightened by the con sciousness of undeserving. There is a period which occurred be tween the time of being " hatcheled" and that of being " woven," that it ex ceeds my powers to delineate. All around me seemed to be in a state of inextricable confusion, out of which order finally appeared in the shape of a piece of cambric, of a quality that brought the workmen far and near to visit it. We were a single family of only twelve, in this rare fabric, among which I remember that I occupied the seventh place in the order of arrange ment, and, of course, in the order of seniority also.

When properly folded, and bestowed in a comfortable covering, our time passed pleasantly enough, be ing removed from all disagreeable sights and smells, and lodged in a place of great security, and indeed of honour, men seldom failing to bestow thi3 attention on their valuables. It is ont of my power to say precisely how long we remained in this passive state in the hands of the manufacturer. It was some weeks, however, if not months ; during which our chief communications were on the chances of our future for tunes. Some of our number were am bitions, and would hear to nothing but the probability, nay, the certainty, of our being purchased, as soon as our arrival in Paris should be made known, by the king, in person, and presented to the dauphine, then the first lady in France. The virtues of the Duchesse d' Angouleme were properly appreciated by some of us, while I discovered that others entertained for her any feelings but those of veneration and respect.

This diversity of opinion, on a subject of which one would think none of us very well qnalified to be judges, was owing to a circumstance of such every day occurrence as almost to supersede the necessity of telling it,t*though the " 8 narrative would be rendered more com plete by an explanation. It happened, while we lay in the bleaching grounds, that one half of the piece extended into a part of the field that came under the management of a legitimist, while the other invaded the dominions of a liberal. Neither of these persons had any concern with us, we being under the special superintendence of the head workman, but it was impossible, altogether impossible, to escape the consequences of our locales. While the legitimist read nothing but the Moniteur, the liberal read nothing but Le Temps, a journal then recently established, in the supposed interests of human freedom.

Each of these individuals got a paper at a certain hour, which he read with as much manner as he could command, and with singular perseverance as related to the difficulties to be overcome, to a clientele of bleachers, who reasoned as he reasoned, swore by his oaths, and finally arrived at all his conclusions. The liberals had the best of it as to numbers, and possibly as to wit, the Monitew possessing the dulness of official dignity under all the dynasties and ministries that have governed France since its establishment. My business, however, is with the effect produced on the pocket-handkerchiefs, and not with that produced on the labourers. The two extremes were regular cot(s gauches and cotis droits. In other words, all at the right end of the piece became devoted Bourbonists, devoutly believing that princes, who were daily mentioned with so much reverence and respect, could be nothing else but perfect; while the opposite extreme were disposed to think that nothing good could come of Nazareth.

In this way four of our number became decided politicians, not only entertaining a sovereign contempt for the sides they respectively opposed, but beginning to feel sensations approaching to hatred for each other. The reader will readily understand that these feelings lessened towards the centre of the piece, acquiring most intensity at the extremes. I may be said myself to have belonged to the centre gauche, that being my accidental position in the fabric, where it was a natural consequence to obtain sentiments of this shade. It will be seen, in the end, how permanent were these early impressions, and how far it is worth while for mere pocket-handkerchiefs to throw away their time, and to permit their feelings to become excited concerning interests that they are certainly not destined to control, and about which, under the most favourable circumstances, they seldom obtain other than very questionable information.

It followed, from this state of feeling, that the notion that we were about to fall into the hands of the unfortunate daughter of Louis XVI. excited considerable commotion and disgust among us. Though very moderate in my political antipathies i and predilections, I confess to some excitement in my own case, declaring that, if royalty was to be my lot, I would prefer not to ascend any higher in the scale than to become the property of that excellent princess, Amelie, who then presided in the Palais Royal, the daughter and sister of a king, but with as little prospects as desires of becoming a queen in her own person. This wish of mine was treated as groveling, and even worse than republican, by the cbti droit of our piece, while the cote* gauche sneered at it as manifesting a sneaking regard for station without the spirit to avow it.

Both were mistaken, however; no unworthy sentiments entering into my decision. Accident had made me acquainted with the virtues of this estimable woman, and I felt assured that she would treat even a pocket-handkerchief kindly. This early opinion has been confirmed by her deportment under very trying and unexpected events. I wish, as I believe she wishes herself, she had never been a queen. All our family did not aspire as high as royalty. Some looked forward to the glories of a banker's daughter's trousseau, — we all understood that our price would be too high for any of the old nobility, — while some even fancied that the happiness of travelling in company was reserved for us before we should be called regularly to enter on the duties of life. As we were so tlosely connected, and on the whole were affectionate as became bro thers and sisters, it was the common wish that we might not be separated, but go together into the same wardrobe, let it be foreign or domestic, that of prince or plebeian.

There were a few among us who spoke of the Duchesse de Bern as our future mistress ; but. the notion prevailed that we should so soon pass into the hands of a femme de chambre, as to render the selection little desirable. In the end we wisely and philosophically determined to await the result with patience, well knowing that we were altogether in the hands of ca price and fashion. At length the happy moment arrived when we were to quit the warehouse of the manufacturer. Let what would happen, this was a source of joy, inas much as we all knew that we could only vegetate while we continued where we then were, and that, too, without ex periencing the delights of our former position, with good roots in the earth, a genial sun shedding its warmth upon our bosoms, and balmy airs fanning our cheeks.

We loved change, too, like other people, and had probably seen enough of vegetation, whether figura tive or real, to satisfy us. Our departure from Picardie took place in June, 1830, and we reached Paris on the first day of the succeeding month. We went through the formalities of the custom houses, or barriires, the same day, and the next morning were all transferred to a celebrated shop that dealt in articles of our genus. Most of the goods were sent on drays to the magazin, but our reputation having preceded us, we were honoured with ..fiacre, making the jour ney between the Douane and the shop on the knee of a confidential commis sionaire. Great was the satisfaction of our little party as we first drove along through the streets of this capital of Europe — the centre of fashion and the abode of elegance.

Our natures had adapted themselves to circumstances, and we no longer pined for the luxuries of the linum usitatissimum, but were ready to enter into all the pleasures of our new existence, which we well un derstood was to be one of pure parade, for no handkerchief of our quality was ever employed on any of the more me nial offices of the profession. We might occasionally brush a lady's cheek, or conceal a blush or a smile, but the usitatissimum had been left behind us in the fields. The fiacre stopped at the door of a celebrated perfumer, and the commissionaire, deeming us of too much value to be left on a carriage-seat, took us in her hand while she negotiated a small affair with the mistress. This was our introduction to the pleasant association of sweet odours, with which it was to be our fortune to enjoy in future the most delicate and judicious communion.

We knew very well that things of this sort were considered vulgar, unless of the purest quality and used with the tact of good society ; but still it was permitted to sprinkle a very little lavender, or exquisite eau de Co logne, on a pocket-handkerchief. The odour of these two scents, therefore, appeared quite natural to us ; and as Madame Sa von never allowed any per fume, or articles fas these things are technically termed) of inferior quality to pollute her shop, we had no scruples about inhaling the delightful fragrance that breathed in the place. D(sir6e, the commissionaire, could not depart without permitting her friend, Madame Savon, to feast her eyes on the treasure in her own hands. The handkerchiefs were unfolded, amidst a hundred Dieux ! dels! and dames! Our fineness and beauty were extolled in a manner that was perfectly gratifying to the self esteem of the whole family.

Madame Savon imagined that even her perfumes would be more fragrant in such com pany, and she insisted on letting one drop — a single drop — of her eau de Co~ bgne fall on the beautiful texture. I was the happy handkerchief that was thus favoured, and long did I riot in that delightful odour, which was just strong enough to fill the air with sensations, rather than impressions, of all that is sweet and womanly in the female wardrobe. _

Chapter III

Notwithstanding my accidental intro duction to one of the nicest distinctions of good society, and the general exhila ration that prevailed in our party, I was far from being perfectly happy. To own the truth, I had left my heart in Pi cardie. I do not say I was in love ; I am far from certain that there is any precedent for a pocket-handkerchief's being in love at all, and I am quite sure that the sensations I experienced were different from those 1 have si_.ce had frequent occasion to hear described. The circumstances which called them forth were as follows : The manuiactory in wbich our family was fabricated was formerly known as the Chateau de la Rocheaimard, and had been the property of the Vicomte de la Rocheaimard previously to the revolution that overturned the throne of Louis XVI.

The Vicomte and his wife joined the royalists at Coblentz, and the former, with his only son, Adrian de la Rocheaimard, or the Chevalier de la Rocheaimard, as he was usually termed, had joined the allies in their attempted invasion on the soil of France. The Vieomte, a marechal-du camp, had fallen in battle, but the son escaped, and passed his youth in exile ; marrying, a few years later, a cousin whose fortunes were at as low an ebb as his own. One child, Adrienne, was the sole issue of this marriage, having been born in the year 1810. Both the parents died before the Restoration, leaving tbe little girl to the care of her pious grandmother, la Vicomtesse, who survived, in a feeble old age, to descant on the former grandeur of her house, and to Sigh, in common with so many others, for le bon vieux temps.

At the Restoration, there was some difficulty in establishing the right of the de la Rocheaimards to their share of the in demnity ; a difficulty I never heard ex plained, but which was probably owing to the circumstance that there were none in particular to interest themselves in the matter but an old woman of sixty five, and a little girl of four. Such appellants, unsupported by money, interest, or power, seldom make out a very strong case for reparation of any sort, in this righteous world of ours ; and, had it not been for tbe goodness of the Dauphine, it is probable that the Vicomtesse and her grand-daughter would have been reduced to downright beggary. But the daughter of the late king got intelligence of the necessities of the two descendants of Crusaders, and a pension of two hundred francs a year was granted, en attendant.

Four hundred dollars a year does not appear a large sum, even to the nouveaux riches of America, but it suf ficed to give Adrienne and her grandmother a comfortable, and even a respectable, subsistence in the provinces. It was impossible for them to inhabit the chateau, now converted into a work shop and filled with machinery, but lodgings were procured in its immediate vicinity. Here Madame de la Rocheai mard whiled away the close of a varied and troubled life ; if not in absolute peace, still not in absolute misery, while her graad-daughter grew into young womanhood, a miracle of goodness and pious devotion to her sole surviving parent. The strength of the family tie in France, and its comparative weakness in America, have been the subject of frequent comment among travellers. I do not know that all whicb has been said is rigidly just, but I am much in clined to think that much of it is ; and, as I am now writing to Americans, and of French people, I see no particular reason why the fact should be con cealed.

Respect for years, deference to the authors of their being, and submis sion to parental authority, are inculcated equally by the morals and the laws of France. The conseilles de famille is a beautiful and wise provision of the national code, and aids greatly in main taining that system of patriarchal rule which lies at the foundation of the whole social structure. Alas ! in the case of the excellent Adrienne, this conseille de famille was easily assembled, and pos sessed perfect unanimity. The wars, the guillotine, and exile had reduced it to two, one of which was despotic in her government, so far as theory was cencerned at least ; possibly, at times, a little so in practice. Still Adrienne, on tbe whole, grew up tolerably happy. She was taught most that is suitable for a gentlewoman, without being crammed with superfluous accomplishments, and, aided by the good cure, a man who remembered her grandfather, had both polished and stored her mind.

Her manners were of the excellent tone that distinguished the good society of Paris before the Revolution, being natural, quiet, simple, and considerate. She seldom laughed, I fear ; but her smiles were sweetness and benevolence itself. The bleaching-grounds of our manu factory were in the old park ofthe cha teau. Thither Mad. de la Rocheaimard was fond of coming in the fine mornings of June, for many ofthe roses and lovely Persian lilacs that once abounded there still remained. 1 first saw Adrienne in one of these visits, the quality of our little family circle attracting her atten tion. One ofthe bleachers, indeed, was an old servant of the vicomte's, and it was a source of pleasure to him to point out anything to the ladies that he thought might prove interesting. This was the man who so diligently read the Moniteur, giving a religious credence to all it con tained.

He fancied no hand so worthy to hold fabrics of such exquisite fineness as that of Mademoiselle Adrienne, and it was through his assiduity that I had the honour of being first placed within the gentle pressure of ber beautiful little fingers. This occurred about a month before our departure for Paris. Adrienne de la Rocheaimard was then just twenty. Her beauty was of a character that is not common in France ; but which, when it does exist, is no where surpassed. She was slight and delicate in person, of fair hair and com plexion, and with the meekest and most dove-like blue eyes I ever saw in female face. Her smile, too, was of so win ning and gentle a nature, as to announce a disposition pregnant with all the affec tions. Still it was well understood that Adrienne was not likely to marry, her birth raising her above all intentions of connecting her ancient name with mere gold, while her poverty placed an al most insuperable barrier between her and most of the impoverished young men of rank whom she occasionally saw.

Even the power of the dauphine was not sufficient to provide Adrienne de la Rocheaimard with a suitable husband. But of this the charming girl never thought ; she lived more for her grand mother than for herself, and so long as that venerated relative, almost the only one that remained to her on earth, did not suffer or repine, she herself could be comparatively happy. " Dans le bon vieux temps," said the vicomtesse, examining me through her spectacles, and addressing Georges, who stood, hat in hand, to hearken to her wisdom ; " dans le bon vieux temps, mon ami, the ladies of the chateau did not want these things. There were six doxen in my corbeille, which were al most as fine as this ; as for the trousseau, I believe it had twice the number, but very little inferior." "I remember that madame," Georges always gave his old mistress this title of honour, "kept many ofthe beautiful garments of her trousseau untouched, down to the melancholy period of the revolution.'* "It has been a mine of wealth to me, Georges, in behalf of that dear child.

You may remember that this trousseau. was kept in the old annoire, on the right hand side of the little door of my dress ing-room " "Madame la Vicomtesse will have the goodness to pardon me— it was on the left hand side of the room — Mon sieur's medals were kept in the opposite ar moire." "Our good Georges is right, Ad rienne ! — he has a memory ! Your grandfather insisted on keeping his medals in my dressing-room, as he says. Well, Monsieur Georges, left or right, there I left the remains of my trousseau, when I fled from France, and there I found it untouched on my return. The manufactory had saved the chateau, and the manufacturers had spared my wardrobe. Its sale, and its materials, have done much toward rendering that dear child respectable and well-clad, since our return." I thought the slight colour which usually adorned the fair oval cheeks of Adrienne deepened a little at this remark, and I certainly felt a little tremor in the hand which held me ; but it could not have been shame, as the sweet girl often alluded to her poverty in a way so simple and natural, as to prove that she had no false feelings on that subject.

And why should she? Poverty ordinarily caases no such sensations to those who are conscious of possessing advantages of an order superior to wealth ; and surely a well-educated, well-born, virtuous girl, need not have blushed be cause estates were torn from her parents by a political convulsion that had over turned an ancient and powerful throne.

Chapter IV

From this time, the charming Ad rienne frequently visited the bleaching grounds, always accompanied by her grandmother. The presence of Georges was an excuse, but to watch the im provement in our appearance was the reason. Never before had Adrienne seen a fabric as beautiful as our own, and, as I afterwards discovered, she was laying by a few francs with the in tention of purchasing the piece, and of working and ornamenting the handkerchiefs, in order to present them to her benefactress, the dauphine. Madame de la Rocheaimard was pleased with this project ; it was becoming in a de la Rocheaimard ; and they soon began to speak of it openly in their visits. Fif teen or twenty napoleons might do it, and the remains ofthe recovered trousseau would still produce that sum. It is probable that this intention would have been carried out, but for a severe illness that attacked the dear girl, during which her life was even despaired of.

I had the happiness of hearing of her gradual recovery, however, before we com menced our journey, though no more was said of the purchase. Perhaps it was as well as it was ; for, by this time, such a feeling existed in our extreme cote gauche, that it may be questioned if the handkerchiefs of that end of the piece would have behaved themselves in the wardrobe of the dauphine with the discretion and prudence that are ex pected from everything around the per son of a princess of her exalted rank and excellent character. It is true, none of us understood the questions at issue ; but that only made the matter worse ; the violence of all dissensions being very generally in proportion to the ignorance and consequent confidence of the disputants. I could not but re member Adrienne, as the commissionaire laid us down before the eyes of the wife of the head of the firm, in the rue de .

We were carefully examined, and pro nounced "parfaits;" still it was not in the sweet tones, and with the sweeter smiles of the polished and gentle girl we had left in Picardie. There was a sentiment in her admiration that touched all our hearts, even to the most exag gerated republican among us, for she seemed to go deeper in her examination of merits than the mere texture and price. She saw her offering in our beauty, the benevolence of the dauphine in our softness, her own gratitude in our exquisite fineness, and princely munificence in our delicacy. In a word, she could enter into the sentiment of a pocket-handkerchief ! Alas ! how dif ferent was the estimation in which we were held by Desirie and her employers. With them, it was merely a question of francs, and we had not been in the magazin five minutes, when there was a lively dispute whether we were to be put at a certain number of napoleons, or one napoleon more.

A good deal was said about Mad. la Duchesse, and I found it was expected that a certain lady of that rank, one who had enjoyed the extraordinary luck of retaining her fortune, being of an old and historical family, and who was at the head of fashion in the faubourg, would become the purchaser. At all events, it was determined no one should see us until this lady returned to town, she being at the moment at Rosny, with madame, whence she was expected to accompany that princess to Dieppe, to come back to her hotel, in the rue de Bourbon, about the last of October. Here, then, were we doomed to three months of total seclusion in the heart of the gayest capital of Europe. It was useless to repine, and we determined among our selves to exercise patience, in the best manner we could. Accordingly, we were safely deposited in a particular drawer, along with a few other favourite articles, that, like our family, were re served for the eyes of certain distinguished but absent customers.

These spicialites in trade are of frequent occur rence in Paris, and form a pleasant bond of union between the buyer and seller, which gives a particular zest to this sort of commerce, and, not unfrequently, a particular value to goods. To see that which no one else has seen, and to own that which no one else can own, are equally agreeable, and delightfully exclusive. All minds that do not possess the natural sources of exclusion, are fond of creating them by means of a subordinate and more artificial character. On the whole, I think we enjoyed our new situation, rather than other wise. The drawer was never opened, it is true, but that next it was in con stant use, and certain crevices beneath the counter enabled us to see a little, and to hear more, of what passed in the magaiin. We were in a part of the shop most frequented by ladies, and we overheard a few tete-a-tetes that were not without amusement.

These generally related to cancans. Paris is a town in which cancant do not usually flourish, their proper theatre being provincial and trading places, beyond a question ; still there are cancans at Paris ; for all sorts of persons frequent that centre of civi lization. The only difference is, that in the social pictures offered by what are called cities, the cancans are in the strongest light, and in the most con spicuous of the grouping ; whereas in Paris they are kept in shadow, and in the background. Still there are cancans at Paris ; and cancans we overheard, and precisely in the manner I have re lated . Did pretty ladies remember that pocket-handkerchiefs have ears, they might possibly have more reserve in the indulgence of this extraordinary propensity. We had been near a month in the drawer, when I recognized a female voice near us, that I had often heard of late, speaking in a confident and decided tone, and making allusions that showed she belonged to the court.