sfy 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 barrieres, the same day, and the next morning we
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 honored with a fiacre, making
the journey between the Douane and the shop on the knee of a
confidential commissionaire.

{Picardie = province of France, north of Evreux; barrieres = gates at
the edge of Paris, where local customs duties were collected; magazin =
shop; fiacre = a kind of carriage; Douane = customs house;
confidential commissionaire = special messenger}

Great was the satisfaction of our little party as we first drove down
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 understood was to be one of pure parade,
for no handkerchief of our quality was ever employed on any of the more
menial 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 its mistress. This was our introduction
to the pleasant association of sweet odors, of 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 cologne, on a pocket-handkerchief. The odor of these
two scents, therefore, appeared quite natural to us, and as Madame
Savon never allowed any perfume, or articles (as 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. Desiree, the commissionaire, could not depart without permitting
her friend, Madame Savo