otherwise. The drawer was never opened, it is true, but that next it was
in constant use, and certain crevices beneath the counter enabled us to
see a little, and to hear more, of what passed in the magazin. We were
in a part of the shop most frequented by ladies, and we overheard a few
tete-a-tetes that were not without amusement. These generally related
to cancans. Paris is a town in which cancans do not usually flourish,
their proper theatre being provincial and trading places, beyond a
question; still there ARE cancans at Paris; for all sorts of persons
frequent that centre of civilization. The only difference is, that in the
social pictures offered by what are called cities, the cancans are in the
strongest light, and in the most conspicuous of the grouping, whereas in
Paris they are kept in shadow, and in the background. Still there are
cancans at Paris; and cancans we overheard, and precisely in the
manner I have related. Did pretty ladies remember that pocket-
handkerchiefs have ears, they might possibly have more reserve in the
indulgence of this extraordinary propensity.

{cancans = scandals (French slang)}

We had been near a month in the drawer, when I recognized a female
voice near us, that I had often heard of late, speaking in a confident and
decided tone, and making allusions that showed she belonged to the
court. I presume her position there was not of the most exalted kind, yet
it was sufficiently so to qualify her, in her own estimation, to talk politics.
"Les ordonnances" were in her mouth constantly, and it was easy to
perceive that she attached the greatest importance to these ordinances,
whatever they were, and fancied a political millennium was near. The
shop was frequented less than usual that day; the next it was worse still,
in the way of business, and the clerks began to talk loud, also, about les
ordonnances. The following morning neither windows nor doors were