The reading,
ordinarily a dull affair, was in this instance vivified by curious
incidents. In the first place, Frau Kranich. amending the injustice
her over-credulity had caused, gave her _protegee_ a wedding-present
of twenty thousand francs, accompanying the gift with some singularly
tart remarks about her nephew: this sum was increased by the groom to
sixty thousand. The second incident was when Joliet, amid the almost
incredulous surprise of the whole table, raised the gift, by the
addition of ten thousand, to seventy thousand francs: the money was
the product of his former house and garden--that house of shreds and
patches which had cost him ten francs. When it came to affixing the
signatures, the notary appealed to Joliet for his name. He could
not sign it, being gouty and half forgetful of pen-practice, but he
responded to the question as bold as a lion: "John Thomas Joliet,
baron de Rouviere," throwing to the lawyer a fine bunch of papers
bearing witness to the validity of the title; after which he added, no
less proudly, "wine-merchant, wholesale and retail, at the sign of the
Golden Chickens, Noisy."
[Illustration: SQUARE OF THE HOTEL DE VILLE, BRUSSELS.]
In truth, Joliet's father had rightfully borne the title of baron de
Rouviere, but, ruined by '48, had abandoned the practice of signing
it. Joliet resumed it for this special occasion, having every warrant
for the act, but whispered to me that he should never so call himself
in future, greatly preferring the enumeration of his qualities on his
business-card.
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