After half an hour's wandering about I stumbled across a curio-shop, a
weird, dim and dusty, musty old curio-shop, with stuffed peacocks
hanging from the ceiling, and skulls, and bronzes and marbles,
paintings, tarnished jewelry and ancient armor, rare books in vellum,
small arms, tapestry, pastimes, plaster masks, and musical instruments.
I recalled to mind the shop of the dealer in antiquities in Balzac's
La Peau de Chagrin, and glanced about (not without a shiver) for the
fatal ass's skin. (I forgot that I was wearing it myself that night!)
I was something of a collector of antiquities, of the inanimate kind,
and for a time I became lost in speculation,--speculation rather
agreeable of its kind, I liked to conjure up in fancy the various
scenes through which these curiosities had drifted in their descent to
this demi-pawnshop; the brave men and beautiful women, the clangor of
tocsins, the haze of battles, the glitter of ball-rooms, epochs and
ages. What romance lay behind yon satin slipper? What grande dame
had smiled behind that ivory fan? What meant that tarnished silver
mask?
The old French proprietor was evidently all things from a pawnbroker to
an art collector; for most of the jewelry was in excellent order and
the pictures possessed value far beyond the intrinsic. He was waiting
upon a customer, and the dingy light that shone down on his bald bumpy
head made it look for all the world like an ill-used billiard-ball. He
was exhibiting revolvers.
From the shining metal of the small arms, my glance traveled to the
face of the prospective buyer. It was an interesting face, clean-cut,
beardless, energetic, but the mouth impressed me as being rather hard.
Doubtless he felt the magnetism of my scrutiny, for he suddenly looked
around. The expression on his face was not one to induce me to throw
my arms around his neck and declare I should be glad to make his
acquaintance. It was a scowl. He was in evening dress, and I could
see that he knew very well how to wear it. All this was but momentary.
He took up a revolver and balanced it on his palm.
By and by the proprietor came sidling along behind the cases, the
slip-slip fashion of his approach informing me that he wore slippers.
"Do you keep costumes?" I asked.
"Anything you like, sir, from a crusader to a modern gentleman,"--with
grim and appropriate irony. "What is it you are in search of--a
masquerade costume?'"
"Only a grey mask," I answered. "I am going to a masked ball to-night
as a Grey Capuchin, and I want a mask that will match my robe."