The Real Latin Quarter Part 3

But the orchestra has given its signal--a short bugle call announcing a quadrille; and those in the garden are running down into the ball-room to hunt up their partners.

The "Bullier" orchestra will interest you; they play with a snap and fire and a tempo that is irresistible. They have played together so long that they have become known as the best of all the bal orchestras.

The leader, too, is interesting--tall and gaunt, with wild, deep-sunken eyes resembling those of an old eagle. Now and then he turns his head slowly as he leads, and rests these keen, penetrating orbs on the sea of dancers below him. Then, with baton raised above his head, he brings his orchestra into the wild finale of the quadrille--piccolos and clarinets, cymbals, ba.s.s viols, and violins--all in one mad race to the end, but so well trained that not a note is lost in the scramble--and they finish under the wire to a man, amid cheers from Mimi and Celeste and "encores"

and "bis's" from every one else who has breath enough left to shout with.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A TYPE OF THE QUARTER By h.e.l.leu.--Estampe Moderne]

Often after an annual dinner of one of the ateliers, the entire body of students will march into the "Bullier," three hundred strong, and take a good-natured possession of the place. There have been some serious demonstrations in the Quarter by the students, who can form a small army when combined. But as a rule you will find them a good-natured lot of fellows, who are out for all the humor and fun they can create at the least expense.

But in June, 1893, a serious demonstration by the students occurred, for these students can fight as well as dance. Senator Beranger, having read one morning in the "Courrier Francais" an account of the revelry and nudity of several of the best-known models of the Quarter at the "Quat'z' Arts" ball, brought a charge against the organizers of the ball, and several of the models, whose beauty unadorned had made them conspicuous on this most festive occasion. At the ensuing trial, several celebrated beauties and idols of the Latin Quarter were convicted and sentenced to a short term of imprisonment, and fined a hundred francs each. These sentences were, however, remitted, but the majority of the students would not have it thus, and wanted further satisfaction. A ma.s.s meeting was held by them in the Place de la Sorbonne. The police were in force there to stop any disturbance, and up to 10 o'clock at night the crowd was held in control.

[Ill.u.s.tration: (portrait of woman)]

It was a warm June night, and every student in the Quarter was keyed to a high state of excitement. Finally a great crowd of students formed in front of the Cafe d'Harcourt, opposite the Sorbonne; things were at fever heat; the police became rough; and in the row that ensued, somebody hurled one of the heavy stone match-safes from a cafe table at one of the policemen, who in his excitement picked it up and hurled it back into the crowd. It struck and injured fatally an innocent outsider, who was taken to the Charity Hospital, in the rue Jacob, and died there.

On the following Monday another ma.s.s meeting of students was held in the Place de la Sorbonne, who, after the meeting, formed in a body and marched to the Chamber of Deputies, crying: "Conspuez Dupuy," who was then president of the Chamber. A number of deputies came out on the portico and the terrace, and smilingly reviewed the demonstration, while the students hurled their anathemas at them, the leaders and men in the front rank of this howling mob trying to climb over the high railing in front of the terrace, and shouting that the police were responsible for the death of one of their comrades.

The Government, fearing further trouble and wishing to avoid any disturbance on the day of the funeral of the victim of the riot in the Place Sorbonne, deceived the public as to the hour when it would occur.

This exasperated the students so that they began one of those demonstrations for which Paris is famous. By 3 P.M. the next day the Quartier Latin was in a state of siege--these poets and painters and sculptors and musicians tore up the rue Jacob and constructed barricades near the hospital where their comrade had died. They tore up the rue Bonaparte, too, at the Place St. Germain des Pres, and built barricades, composed of overturned omnibuses and tramcars and newspaper booths. They smashed windows and everything else in sight, to get even with the Government and the smiling deputies and the murderous police--and then the troops came, and the affair took a different turn. In three days thirty thousand troops were in Paris--princ.i.p.ally cavalry, many of the regiments coming from as far away as the center of France.

[Ill.u.s.tration: eCOLE DES BEAUX ARTS]

With these and the police and the Garde Republicaine against them, the students melted away like a handful of snow in the sun; but the demonstrations continued spasmodically for two or three days longer, and the little crooked streets, like the rue du Four, were kept clear by the cavalry trotting abreast--in and out and dodging around corners--their black horse-tail plumes waving and helmets shining. It is sufficient to say that the vast army of artists and poets were routed to a man and driven back into the more peaceful atmosphere of their studios.

But the "Bullier" is closing and the crowd is pouring out into the cool air. I catch a glimpse of Yvonne with six students all in one fiacre, but Yvonne has been given the most comfortable place. They have put her in the hood, and the next instant they are rattling away to the Pantheon for supper.

If you walk down with the rest, you will pa.s.s dozens of jolly groups singing and romping and dancing along down the "Boul' Miche" to the taverne, for a bock and some ecrivisse. With youth, good humor, and a "louis," all the world seems gay!

CHAPTER IV

BAL DES QUAT'Z' ARTS

Of all the b.a.l.l.s in Paris, the annual "Bal des Quat'z' Arts" stands unique. This costume ball is given every year, in the spring, by the students of the different ateliers, each atelier vying with the others in creation of the various floats and corteges, and in the artistic effect and historical correctness of the costumes.

The first "Quat'z' Arts" ball was given in 1892. It was a primitive affair, compared with the later ones, but it was a success, and immediately the "Quat'z' Arts" Ball was put into the hands of clever organizers, and became a studied event in all its artistic sense. Months are spent in the creation of spectacles and in the costuming of students and models. Prizes are given for the most successful organizations, and a jury composed of painters and sculptors pa.s.ses upon your costume as you enter the ball, and if you do not come up to their artistic standard you are unceremoniously turned away. Students who have been successful in getting into the "Quat'z' Arts" for years often fail to pa.s.s into this bewildering display of beauty and brains, owing to their costume not possessing enough artistic originality or merit to pa.s.s the jury.

[Ill.u.s.tration: (coiffeur sign)]

It is, of course, a difficult matter for one who is not an enrolled member of one of the great ateliers of painting, architecture, or sculpture to get into the "Quat'z' Arts," and even after one's ticket is a.s.sured, you may fail to pa.s.s the jury.

Imagine this ball, with its procession of moving tableaux. A huge float comes along, depicting the stone age and the primitive man, every detail carefully studied from the museums. Another represents the last day of Babylon. One sees a nude captive, her golden hair and white flesh in contrast with the black velvet litter on which she is bound, being carried by a dozen stalwart blackamoors, followed by camels bearing nude slaves and the spoils of a captured city.

[Ill.u.s.tration: (photograph of woman)]

As the ball continues until daylight, it resembles a baccha.n.a.lian fete in the days of the Romans. But all through it, one is impressed by its artistic completeness, its studied splendor, and permissible license, so long as a costume (or the lack of it) produces an artistic result. One sees the mise en scene of a barbaric court produced by the architects of an atelier, all the various details constructed from carefully studied sketches, with maybe a triumphal throne of some barbaric king, with his slaves, the whole costumed and done in a studied magnificence that takes one's breath away. Again an atelier of painters may reproduce the frieze of the Parthenon in color; another a float or a decoration, suggesting the works of their master.

The room becomes a thing of splendor, for it is as gorgeous a spectacle as the cleverest of the painters, sculptors, and architects can make it, and is the result of careful study--and all for the love of it!--for the great "Quat'z' Arts" ball is an event looked forward to for months.

Special instructions are issued to the different ateliers while the ball is in preparation, and the following one is a translation in part from the notice issued before the great ball of '99. As this is a special and private notice to the atelier, its contents may be interesting:

BAL DES QUAT'Z' ARTS, Moulin Rouge, 21 April, 1899.

Doors open at 10 P.M. and closed at midnight.

The card of admission is absolutely personal, to be taken by the committee before the opening of the ball.

[Ill.u.s.tration: (admission card)]

The committee will be masked, and comrades without their personal card will be refused at the door. The cards must carry the name and quality of the artist, and bear the stamp of his atelier.

Costumes are absolutely necessary. The soldier--the dress suit, black or in color--the monk--the blouse--the domino--kitchen boy--loafer--bicyclist, and other nauseous types, are absolutely prohibited.

Should the weather be bad, comrades are asked to wait in their carriages, as the committee in control cannot, under any pretext, neglect guarding the artistic effect of the ball during any confusion that might ensue.

A great "feed" will take place in the grand hall; the buffet will serve as usual individual suppers and baskets for two persons.

The committee wish especially to bring the attention of their comrades to the question of women, whose cards of admission must be delivered as soon as possible, so as to enlarge their attendance--always insufficient.

Prizes (champagne) will be distributed to the ateliers who may distinguish themselves by the artistic merit and beauty of their female display.

[Ill.u.s.tration: (photograph of woman)]

All the women who compete for these prizes will be a.s.sembled on the grand staircase before the orchestra. The nude, as always, is PROHIBITED!?!

The question of music at the head of the procession is of the greatest importance, and those comrades who are musical will please give their names to the delegates of the ateliers. Your good-will in this line is asked for--any great worthless capacity in this line will do, as they always play the same tune, "Les Pompiers!"

THE COMMITTEE--1899.

For days before the "Quat'z' Arts" ball, all is excitement among the students, who do as little work as possible and rest themselves for the great event. The favorite wit of the different ateliers is given the task of painting the banner of the atelier, which is carried at the head of the several corteges. One of these, in Bouguereau's atelier, depicted their master caricatured as a cupid.

The boys once constructed an elephant with oriental trappings--an elephant that could wag his ears and lift his trunk and snort--and after the two fellows who formed respectfully the front and hind legs of this knowing beast had practised sufficiently to proceed with him safely, at the head of a cortege of slave girls, nautch dancers, and manacled captives, the big beast created a success in the procession at the "Quat'z' Arts" ball.

[Ill.u.s.tration: (portrait of man)]

After the ball, in the gray morning light, they marched it back to the atelier, where it remained for some weeks, finally becoming such a nuisance, kicking around the atelier and getting in everybody's way, that the boys agreed to give it to the first junk-man that came around.

But as no junk-man came, and as no one could be found to care for its now sadly battered hulk, its good riddance became a problem. What to do with the elephant! that was the question.

At last the two, who had sweltered in its dusty frame that eventful night of the "Quat'z' Arts," hit upon an idea. They marched it one day up the Boulevard St. Germain to the Cafe des deux Magots, followed by a crowd of people, who, when it reached the cafe, a.s.sembled around it, every one asking what it was for--or rather what it was?--for the beast had by now lost much of the resemblance of its former self. When half the street became blocked with the crowd, the two wise gentlemen crawled out of its fore and aft, and quickly mingled, unnoticed, with the bystanders. Then they disappeared in the crowd, leaving the elephant standing in the middle of the street. Those who had been expecting something to happen--a circus or the rest of the parade to come along--stood around for a while, and then the police, realizing that they had an elephant on their hands, carted the thing away, swearing meanwhile at the atelier and every one connected with it.

The cafes near the Odeon, just before the beginning of the ball, are filled with students in costume; gladiators hobn.o.b at the tables with savages in scanty attire--Roman soldiers and students, in the garb of the ancients, strut about or chat in groups, while the uninvited grisettes and models, who have not received invitations from the committee, implore them for tickets.

Tickets are not transferable, and should one present himself at the entrance of the ball with another fellow's ticket, he would run small chance of entering.