Page:The Bohemians of the Latin Quarter.djvu/214

full of notes; he had studied Carolus chiefly in respect of his movables and worldly goods.

“This Barbemuche,” he said, on being asked his opinion, “is a lump of good qualities. He knows the names of all the wines that ever were invented, and made me eat more nice things than my aunt ever did on her birthday. He is on very good terms with the tailors in the Rue Vivienne, and the bootmakers of the Passage des Panoramas; and I have observed that he is nearly our size, so that, in case of need, we can lend him our clothes. His habits are less austere than Colline chose to represent them; he went wherever I pleased to take him, and gave me a breakfast in two acts, the second of which went off in a tavern by the fish-market where I am known for some Carnival orgies. Well, Carolus went in there as any ordinary mortal might, and that’s all. Marcel goes to-morrow.”

Carolus knew that Marcel was the one who had made the most objections to his reception. Accordingly, he treated him with particular attention, and especially won his heart by holding out the hope of procuring him come sitters in the family of his pupil. When it came to Marcel’s turn to make his report, there were no traces of his original hostility to Carolus.

On the fourth day, Colline informed Barbemuche that he was admitted, but under conditions. “You have a number of vulgar habits,” he said, “which must be reformed.”

“I shall do my best to imitate you,” said Carolus.

During the whole time of his novitiate the Platonic philosopher kept company with the Bohemians continually, and was thus enabled to study their habits more thoroughly, not without being very much astonished at times. One morning, Colline came to see him with a joyful face.

“My dear fellow,” he said, “it’s all over; you are now definitely one of us. It only remains to fix the day and the