Roundabout Papers - Penn State University

Roundabout Papers“But he passed on unmoved by their halberds,“Unmoved by the cries of the roysterers,“By the market-women coming with their milk andeggs.“He walked through the Rue St. Honore, I say:—“By the Rue Rambuteau,“By the Rue St. Antoine,“By the King’s Chateau of the Bastille,“By the Faubourg St. Antoine.“And he came to No. 29 in the Rue Picpus—a housewhich then stood between a court and garden—“That is, there was a building of one story, with agreat coach-door.“Then there was a court, around which were stables,coach-houses, offices.“Then there was a house—a two-storied house, with aperron in front.“Behind the house was a garden—a garden of twohundred and fifty French feet in length.“And as one hundred feet of France equal one hundredand six feet of England, this garden, my friends,equalled exactly two hundred and sixty-five feet of Britishmeasure.“In the centre of the garden was a fountain and astatue—or, to speak more correctly, two statues. Onewas recumbent,—a man. Over him, sabre in hand, stooda woman.“The man was Olofernes. The woman was Judith. Fromthe head, from the trunk, the water gushed. It was thetaste of the doctor:—was it not a droll of taste?“At the end of the garden was the doctor’s cabinet ofstudy. My faith, a singular cabinet, and singular pictures!—“Decapitation of Charles Premier at Vitehall.“Decapitation of Montrose at Edimbourg.“Decapitation of Cinq Mars. When I tell you that hewas a man of a taste, charming!“Through this garden, by these statues, up these stairs,went the pale figure of him who, the porter said, knewthe way of the house. He did. Turning neither right norleft, he seemed to walk through the statues, the obstacles,the flower-beds, the stairs, the door, the tables, the chairs.230