THE UNLUCKY INCOGNITO .
BY B. B. тном .
ONCE upon a time there lived, in the good city of Brussels, a certain charlatan, whose vanity was continually leading him into difficulties. To credit his own account no man had passed through greater perils or enjoyed a more extensive acquaintance with celebrated geniuses. He even ventured to boast that there was not a great personage who figured in the Revolution , or during the Empire, that had not been anxious to make his acquaintance. If you were to believe Robinson, Cambacéres forgot his title of Arch-Chancellor of the Empire, to chat with the Ventriloquist ; the Prince Talleyrand declared the greatest pleasure in life was talking with the wonderful Magician ; Marie Louise was never tired of looking at his phantasmagoria ; while the Emperor and King spoke in the most familiar terms with Mr. Robinson, while he shuffled the cards, and had more than once slightly pinched his cars- a testimony of affection and familiarity that he only deigned to give but to two or three of his prime favorites.
But then, Mr. Robinson-that is, if you were to believe his own account of himself-was a man of simple habits, and decided literary taste ; therefore it was that he preferred the society of artists, of poets, of authors of all kinds, to that of emperors, duchesses, marshals, dukes, and functionaries of the Legion of Honor. He dined regularly, he said, once a week with Lebrun ; Andrieux consulted him as to his lectures at the College of France ; Delille read his verses for him ; Arnault let him have the first sight of his best epigrams ; and, lastly, Marie Joseph Chenier could not live without him ! If only two days passed without seeing him (Robinson, ) he ran to his house, leaped upon his neck, and could not bear quitting him. 66 Then you are about to enjoy a very great happiness," said the master of the hotel, " for M. Chenier has just arrived at Brussels. He has taken up his abode in this hotel." "Marie Joseph Chenier !" cried out Robinson, with a noisy, joyous shout, in the accents of which, however, could be discovered a slight tincture of embarrassment. 66 Yes, he himself wrote his name upon my register. Here it is- Chenier.' I also remarked his name upon his portmanteau. Surely you can recognise in the register the handwriting of your friend." 66 Perfectly well ; it is he himself; the matter is no longer doubtful," resumed Robinson. "To-morrow morning I must certainly call upon, and pay my respects to him." "To-morrow ! What! wait until to-morrow to embrace your friend !"
Ah, unfortunately, just before I left Paris we had a slight quarrel."
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"Fic ! a quarrel with the author of Charles the Ninth, of Fenelon, and of Caius Gracchus," interrupted a young man, who piqued himself upon his literary taste. " Ah ! if I were the friend of such a man, as you have the happiness to be , I would press him in my arms, and ask his pardon for any wrong he supposed I might have done. This I would do, instead of standing upon ceremony with him." "These are noble sentiments ; sentiments that I approve of so much, that I mean to act upon them. I shall immediately wait upon Chenier - my friend, Chenier !" " And we, gentlemen," observed the literary enthusiast, " what shall we do ? Can we have in the city of Brussels one of the greatest writers of the age, without showing how much we admire him ? Yesterday we applauded at the theatre a tragedy of Chenier's, and to-day shall not Chenier know how highly the people of Brussels appreciate great poets ? We must give him a serenade." 66 Yes, he must be serenaded ; that is it," was repeated on all sides with enthusiasm . " A serenade, a serenade !" Instantly all were occupied in arranging the musical fete. They affiliated Robinson, in despite of himself, in the joyous conspiracy, in order that he might harangue the Poet in presenting to him his numerous admirers at Brussels. Robinson wished to decline the honor, which he declared should devolve upon an inhabitant of the country. But they paid no attention to his scruples, and he was therefore compelled to go along with them. In order that the reader may the better understand the scene that is about to follow, it is necessary to state the Belgians are the greatest serenaders upon the face of the earth. The Spaniards themselves are thrifty in their nocturnal concerts, when compared with the worthy Flemings. Every occurrence gives occasion to a serenade. Is any one leaving the country ? There is a serenade. Does one arrive from abroad ? A serenade. If it be a marriage, or a christening, or a birthday, the serenade is never wanting, with its bass, its three violins, its flute, its clarionet, its trombone, and its violincello. The compliment-givers take up their position in a silent and mysterious manner about nine in the evening. They range themselves, mostly, beneath the window of the person about to be feted, and then, " one two-three"-the master of the little orchestra waves his bow, and out bursts some triumphant air. The crowd gathers together on hearing the noise ; the windows open, and are filled with the curious ; all shout, and all hurrah. All then ordinarily finishes with a speech from the balcony. The serenaded is often surprised in his robe de chambre, and while he holds his nightcap and grasps his loose dressing gown tightly about him with one hand, he gesticulates with the other, and trics, or pretends to try to " wipe away a tear."
