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PART II.

'Ar twelve, Mr. MARCEL, historical painter, will suffer his eyes to be bandaged, and extemporize in crayon the meeting of NAPOLEON and VOLTAIRE in the Elysian Fields. Mr. RODOLPHE will simultaneously extemporize a poetic parallel between the author of Zaïre and the author of the Battle of Austerlitz.

'At twelve and a half, Mr. COLLINE, in a modest deshabille, will imitate the athletic sports of the Fourth Olympiad.

'At one in the morning, reading of the Report on the Abolition of Capital Punishment by TRAGEDY, (re-continued,) and subscription for the benefit of the tragic authors whose occupation is to be gone.

'At two, quadrilles will be organized and continue till morning.

'At six, sunrise and final chorus.

'During the whole continuance of the performance, all the ventilators will be in play. 'N. B.- Any person attempting to read or write verses will be immediately handed over to the police.

'N. B. 2d. - Gentlemen are requested not to pocket the candle-ends.'

Two days after, copies of this invitation were circulating in the third stories of art and literature, and creating a profound sensation. Nevertheless, there were some of the guests who doubted the splendors announced by our two friends.

I have grave suspicions,' said one of the skeptical. 'I was at Rodolphe's Wednesdays sometimes when he lived Rue de la Tour d'Auvergne. You could only sit down metaphorically, and had nothing but water to drink, and not filtered at that.''

Now, a word as to the origin of this party which was causing so much astonishment in the Transpontine world of art. For about a year, Marcel and Rodolphe had been talking of this sumptuous gala, which was always to come off next Saturday, but disagreeable circumstances had forced their promise to run the round of fifty-two weeks; so that they were in the condition of not being able to move without encountering some ironical remark from their acquaintances, some of whom were even rash enough to demand its fulfilment! The thing was beginning to take the character of a standing joke against them; the two friends resolved to put an end to this by liquidating their engagement. Accordingly they sent out the above invitation.

Now,' said Rodolphe, there is no retreat. We have burned our ships. Eight days are left us to procure the hundred francs indispensable to doing the thing properly.'

Since we must have them, we will,' answered Marcel; and with their habitual rash trust in luck, the two friends went to sleep, well convinced that the hundred francs were already on the way-some impossible - toward them.

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However, the night before the day indicated for the entertainment, as nothing had yet arrived, Rodolphe thought it would be safer to help his luck a little, if he did not wish to find himself disgraced when the time was come for lighting up. To facilitate this, the two friends progressively modified the splendors of their self-imposed programme. By modification after modification, cutting down very much the article of Cakes, and carefully reviewing and abridging the article of Refreshments, the total expense was reduced to fifteen francs: the question was simplified, but not resolved.

'Come, come,' said Rodolphe, we must put every engine at work. In the first place, we cannot adjourn the performances this time.' 'Impossible!' replied Marcel.

'How long is it since I heard the story of the Battle of Studzianka?' Nearly two months.'

"Two months? Good! Quite long enough. My uncle shall not have to complain of me. I will go to-morrow and make him tell me the Battle of Studzianka; that will be five francs, sure.'

'And I,' said Marcel,' will go and sell a deserted manor to old Medicis ; that will be five francs, too. If I have time to put in three turrets and a mill, it may go up to ten francs, and we shall have our budget.'

So the two friends fell asleep, dreaming that the Princess Belgiozoso was begging them to change their days of reception, so as not to take from her salons all the literati of Paris.

Marcel awoke early in the morning, took a canvas, and went energetically to work on a deserted manor, an article particularly in demand with a broker of the Place du Carrousel. Rodolphe, on his part, went to visit his uncle Monetti, who excelled in the retreat from Russia, which he had the pleasure of repeating to his nephew five or six times a year, in consideration of some small loans, which the veteran stove-maker did not hesitate about when his narrative had been listened to with sufficient enthusiasm.

About two in the afternoon, Marcel, with downcast look and a portrait under his arm, met, in the Place du Carrousel, Rodolphe, coming from his uncle's with a face that announced bad news.

'Well,' asked Marcel, 'were you successful?'

'No, indeed! my uncle has gone to Versailles-and you?'

That beast of a Medicis does n't want any more ruined castles. He asked me for a Bombardment of Tangier?

Our reputation is gone if we don't give our party,' said Rodolphe. What will my friend the influential critic say, if I make him put on a white cravat and straw-colored gloves for nothing?'

Both returned home a prey to the most lively anxiety just as the clock (not their clock, of course) struck four.

We have but three hours before us,' said Rodolphe.

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'But,' exclaimed Marcel, approaching his friend, are you sure, now, quite sure, that we have no money left here?'

Neither here nor any where else. How should we?'

'If we look under the furniture in the chairs? They say that the emigrants used to hide their treasure in Robespierre's time. Perhaps our arm-chair belonged to one; beside, it is so hard that I have often thought there must be metal inside of it. Will you make an autopsy

of it!'

This is mere farce!' replied Rodolphe, with an air of mingled sternness and pity.

Suddenly Marcel, who had been poking into every corner of the room, uttered a shout of triumph.

'We are saved!' he cried. 'I was sure there was something valuable here. Look!' and he showed Rodolphe a piece of money the size of a crown, half consumed by rust and verdigris. It was a Carlovingian coin, of some value to an antiquary. The inscription was fortunately in such a state of preservation that you could read the date of Chariemagne's reign.

'That! it is worth thirty sous!' said Rodolphe, casting a contemptuous look at his friend's discovery.

'Thirty sous well employed will do a good deal,' answered Marcel. 'With twelve hundred men, Bonaparte made ten thousand Austrians surrender. Skill makes up for want of numbers. I shall go and sell this crown of Charlemagne to Father Medicis. Is there nothing else to sell here? Suppose I take that cast of the Russian drum-major's thighbone. That would bring a heap.'

'Take it along-but it's a pity. There will not be a single object of art left.'

While Marcel was gone, Rodolphe, determined to give the party n any case, went to find his friend Colline, the hyperphysic philosopher, who lived two doors off. 'I am come to beg a favor of you,' said he: in my quality of host I must absolutely have a black coat. I haven't Lend me yours.'

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'But,' replied the other, with some hesitation, 'in my quality of guest I want a black coat too, I do.'

'I will allow you to come in your frock.' 'You know very well I never had one.' 'Well, we can arrange it somehow. If it comes to the worst, you may lend me your coat and not come to the party.'

That won't do at all; for I am on the programme, and therefore must be there.'

'There are a good many other things on the programme that won't be there,' said Rodolphe. Lend me your coat, at any rate. If you want to come, come as you choose-in your shirt-sleeves- you can pass for a faithful domestic.'

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'No,' rejoined Colline, blushing, 'I will wear my hazel over-coatbut it's a great bore, all this.' And as he perceived that Rodolphe had already laid hands on the famous black coat, he called out, Wait a bit; there's something in the pockets.'

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Colline's coat deserves particular mention. In the first place, it was of a very positive blue, so that its owner used to say 'my black coat,' merely from a way he had. And as his was the only dress-coat belong ing to the association, his friends had also fallen into the way of saying, when they spoke of the philosopher's official garment, Colline's black coat.' Moreover, this garment had a peculiar cut, the most bizarre possible; its very long skirts, attached to a very short waist, were furnished with two pockets, perfect abysses, in which he used to stow a score of volumes which he always carried about with him; so that his friends said that when the public libraries were closed, the literary public might apply to Colline's skirts, where a library was always open.

That day, for a wonder, the coat contained only a quarto volume of Bayle, a three-volume treatise on the Hyperphysic Faculties, one volume of Condillac, two of Swedenborg, and Pope's Essay on Man. Having emptied his portable library of these, Colline allowed Rodolphe to put

it on.

Eh!' said the latter, 'this left pocket is very heavy still; you have left something in it.'

'True,' said Colline, 'I have forgotten to empty the foreign-languages

pocket.' He drew out two Arab grammars, a Malay dictionary, and a Chinese guide, one of his pet-books.

When Rodolphe returned, he found Marcel playing at pitch-and-toss with five-franc pieces to the number of three. At first he was ready to reject his friend's offered hand, thinking he must have committed a crime to get the money.

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Make haste! make haste!' cried Marcel. We have the fifteen francs requisite-even thus: I found an antiquary at the Jew's. When he saw my coin, he all-but fainted; it was the only one wanting in his collection. He had sent all over the globe to fill the gap, and had lost ail hope. So, after carefully examining my crown of Charlemagne, he did not hesitate to offer me five francs for it. Medicis pushed my elbow, and completed his explanation by a look, as much as to say, 'Share the proceeds, and I'll bid against him.' We went up to thirty francs; I gave the Jew fifteen; here is the rest! Now let our guests come! We are in a condition to astonish them. Hallo! you've got a dress-coat!' 'Colline's coat,' said Rodolphe. He felt for his handkerchief, and brought out a little volume of Manchou, which had been forgotten in the foreign-languages pocket. The two friends proceeded to their preparations immediately. The room was put in order; a fire lighted in the stove; a canvas-frame garnished with candles was hung from the ceiling by way of chandelier; a desk placed in the centre to serve the orators for tribune; and before it the only arm-chair, destined to be occupied by the influential critic. On a table were arranged all the essays, articles, poems, and novels, whose authors were to honor the party with their presence. To avoid any collision between the different departments of literature, the four sides of the apartment were hastily labelled:

POETS.
ESSAYISTS.

The ladies were to sit in the middle.

ROMANTIC SCHOOL.
CLASSIC SCHOOL.

'Ah, but we are short of chairs!' said Rodolphe.

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'Oh,' said Marcel, there are some along the wall on the landing. Let's borrow some.'

'Certainly we will,' quoth Rodolphe, going out to appropriate the neighbors' chairs.

The clock struck six; the friends made a rapid dinner, and hastened to light up their rooms. The effect astonished themselves. At seven, Schaunard arrived with three ladies, who had forgotten to bring their jewelry or their bonnets. One of them wore a red shawl with black spots. Schaunard commended her particularly to Rodolphe.

She is a very respectable person,' he said; an English lady driven into exile by the fall of the Stuarts. She supports a modest existence by giving lessons in her language. Her grand-father was Chancellor under Cromwell, she says; so you must not be too familiar with her.'

Several steps were heard on the stair-case. It was the guests arriving. They seemed much astonished to see fire in the stove. As soon as there was a score of people assembled, Schaunard asked if it was not time to take a drink of something.

'In a minute,' said Marcel. 'We are waiting for the arrival of the influential critic to kindle the punch.'

By eight, all the guests had arrived, and the programme began to be

executed. After each entertainment the company took a drink of something, nobody could tell exactly what.

About ten, the white waist-coat of the influential critic made its appearance. He only staid an hour, and was exceedingly temperate in his libations.

At twelve, as the wood was all gone, and it began to be very cold, such of the guests as had chairs drew lots for who should throw his into the fire. By one o'clock every body was standing.

An amiable gaiety reigned throughout this memorable evening, which was a nine-days' wonder in the neighborhood. Schaunard's friend Phemy, who had been the queen of the party, used to say of it to her friends, 'It was real splendid, my dear: they had lots of wax-candles.'

LINE S.

In the early summer evening,
When the glorious sun has set,
And the stars are gently gleaming,
In Night's hall of beauty met;
When the balmy breeze blows gaily,
Toying with the laughing leaves,
And the cricket chirrups shrilly
To the swallow on the eaves;
When the robin chants his vesper

With the black-bird and the thrush

High up in the spire-like poplar,

In the calm, clear evening's hush;
And the forest-trees stand stately
In a dark and rustling rank,

While the violet sedately

Breathes forth perfume from yon bank,
By the babbling, bubbling streamlet,
As it ripples o'er the stones,
Harping on the starry beamlet
With its thousand tiny tones;
When the darkness dewy-drooping
Is so slow in coming on,
And the day-light lingers, stooping
To the embraces of the sun;
When the bride of haughty heaven

With unconscious beauty beams,
While her smiles are sweetly given
To the meadow-lands and streams;
Then I wander forth delighted,
And my fancy flies afar

Back where all the hours are lighted

Rosy with the hopes that were:
Then the forms of the true-hearted,
All the loved and lost of yore
Who have silently departed

To that far, still, unknown shore;
All appear as angels watching,
Guarding all my wayward ways;
Guiding, cheering, and protecting,
As the stars with constant gaze.

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