In the Quarter

In the Quarter

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Title: In the Quarter
Author: Robert W. Chambers
Release Date: November, 2004 [EBook #6893] [This file was first
posted on February 8, 2003]
Edition: 10

Language: English
Character set encoding: Latin1
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, IN THE
QUARTER ***

In the Quarter
by Robert W. Chambers
In the Quarter was first published in 1894 and the text is in the public
domain. The transcription was done by William McClain, 2003.
A printed version of this book is available from Sattre Press
http://itq.sattre-press.com/

One
One evening in May, 1888, the Café des Écoles was even more
crowded and more noisy than usual. The marble-topped tables were wet
with beer and the din was appalling. Someone shouted to make himself
heard.
"Any more news from the Salon?"
"Yes," said Elliott, "Thaxton's in with a number three. Rhodes is out
and takes it hard. Clifford's out too, and takes it -- "
A voice began to chant:
Je n'sais comment faire, Comment concillier Ma maitresse et mon père,
Le Code et Bullier.
"Drop it! Oh, drop it!" growled Rhodes, and sent a handful of billiard
chalk at the singer.

Mr Clifford returned a volley of the Café spoons, and continued:
Mais c'que je trouve de plus bête, C'est qu' i' faut financer Avec ma
belle galette, J'aimerai mieux m'amuser.
Several other voices took up the refrain, lamenting the difficulty of
reconciling their filial duties with balls at Bullier's, and protesting that
they would rather amuse themselves than consider financial questions.
Rhodes sipped his curaçoa sulkily.
"The longer I live in the Latin Quarter," he said to his neighbor, "the
less certain I feel about a place of future punishment. It would be so
tame after this." Then, reverting to his grievance, he added, "The
slaughter this year at the Salon is awful."
Reginald Gethryn stirred nervously but did not speak.
"Have a game, Rex?" called Clifford, waving a cue.
Gethryn shook his head, and reaching for a soiled copy of the Figaro,
glanced listlessly over its contents. He sighed and turned his paper
impatiently. Rhodes echoed the sigh.
"What's at the theaters?"
"Same as last week, excepting at the Gaieté. They've put on `La Belle
Hélène' there."
"Oh! Belle Hélène!" cried Clifford.
Tzing! la! la! Tzing! la! la! C'est avec ces dames qu' Oreste Fait danser
l'argent de Papa!
Rhodes began to growl again.
"I shouldn't think you'd feel like gibbering that rot tonight."
Clifford smiled sweetly and patted him on the head. "Tzing! la! la! My
shot, Elliott?"

"Tzing! la! la!" laughed Thaxton, "That's Clifford's biography in three
words."
Clifford repeated the refrain and winked impudently at the pretty
bookkeeper behind her railing. She, alas! returned it with a blush.
Gethryn rose restlessly and went over to another table where a man,
young, but older than himself, sat, looking comfortable.
"Braith," he began, trying to speak indifferently, "any news of my
fate?"
The other man finished his beer and then answered carelessly, "No."
But catching sight of Gethryn's face he added, with a laugh:
"Look here, Rex, you've got to stop this moping."
"I'm not moping," said Rex, coloring up.
"What do you call it, then?" Braith spoke with some sharpness, but
continued kindly, "You know I've been through it all. Ten years ago,
when I sent in my first picture, I confess to you I suffered the torments
of the damned until -- "
"Until?"
"Until they sent me my card. The color was green."
"But I thought a green card meant `not admitted."'
"It does. I received three in three years."
"Do you mean you were thrown out three years in succession?"
Braith knocked the ashes out of his pipe. "I gave up smoking for those
three years."
"You?"

Braith filled his pipe tenderly. "I was very poor," he said.
"If I had half your sand!" sighed Rex.
"You have,