In the Shadows of Paris (27 page)
Read In the Shadows of Paris Online
Authors: Claude Izner
Joseph, dying to give away details of the case that had gone unreported in the press, stifled the urge with one of his mother's wedge-like sandwiches. After he'd swallowed the last mouthful, he began giving a summary of his next novel. It would be entitled
The Devil's Bouquet
and would relate the criminal exploits of a theatre manager who murdered young actresses with bunches of poisoned flowers.
Djina was miles away. The scenery rolled by, like a landscape on a canvas, unreal. She was recalling Kenji's delicious awkwardness. She would savour the memory of it over the next three weeks. Euphrosine's shrill voice interrupted her reverie.
âBy the way, pet, with respect, ladies, once you've become Monsieur Legris's brother-in-law and Monsieur Mori's son-in-law I trust you'll stop calling them “Boss”. As for me, I'll be hiring a cleaning lady, that's for sure!'
1
âLe Temps des cerises' (âThe Cherry Season'): lyrics by Jean-Baptiste Clément, music by Antoine Renard. The song was composed between 1866 and 1868 and published by Egrot, Paris.
2
The site where the new Sorbonne would be built between 1885 and 1901.
3
Jean-Baptiste Clément: âThe Captain “Backs to the wall”', 1872.
4
Known as Grotius.
5
Pseudonym of two French novelists: Charles Causse (1862â1905) and Charles Vincent (1851â1920).
6
Built around Paris between 1841 and 1845. A project of Adolphe Thiers.
7
Now Porte de Pantin.
8
Play by Anicet Bourgeois and Ferdinand Dugué.
9
Play by Auguste Maquet.
10
Théophile Gautier (1811â1872): âFirst Smile of Spring'.
11
A line from
The Barber of Seville
by Beaumarchais.
12
âBehold the man.' The words uttered by Pontius Pilate to refer to Jesus.
13
In 1870, French cannons fired at a range of 1,600 metres at the very most, compared to Prussian artillery which could reach up to 7 kilometres.
14
Politician (1830â1915).
15
Annual celebration organised by students of the Ãcole des Beaux-Arts.
16
Francis I.
17
See
The Marais Assassin
, Gallic Books.
18
âQuite right.'
19
Chronophotography, developed and practised by â among others â Ãtienne-Jules Marey (1830â1904). His chronophotographic camera was patented on 28 June 1893.
20
He would publish
The Gods Are Athirst
in 1912.
21
1 Mayâ30 October 1893.
22
American artiste, born in Fullersburg, near Chicago (1862â1928).
23
French painter (1861â1917), famous for his portraits of society people.
24
The exhibition that took place 15â30 March at 11, Rue le Peletier.
25
Monsieur Lepine replaced Monsieur Loze as Chief of Police on 11 July 1893.
26
Les Cuirassiers de Reichshoffen,
lyrics by Henri Nazet and Gaston Villemer, music by Francisque Chassaigne, 1871.
27
An Old Man of Letters
by Monsieur du Campfranc.
28
This expression dates from 30 September 1836. A century earlier, the
London Post
had published
Robinson Crusoe
by Daniel Defoe, in serialised form from 7 October 1719 to 17 October 1721.
29
Renamed Rue du Pré in 1920.
30
The electric tachyscope was marketed by the German firm, Siemens.
31
Invented by Ãmile Reynaud (1844â1918) in 1876, it created the illusion of moving images (using drawings). It was patented on 14 January 1889.
32
See
The Père-Lachaise Mystery
, Gallic Books.
33
By Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly (1808â1889).
34
By William Bunasch, music by Louis Varney.
35
Poetic Meditations
: âLe Lac'
.
36
Georges Moinaux, known as Georges Courteline (1858â1929).
37
Poet, playwright and novelist (1848â1909).
38
The protagonist of
Lost Illusions
by Honoré de Balzac.
39
Published in serialised form in 1846.
40
Novel by Paul Féval (1817â1887).
41
See
The Marais Assassin
, Gallic Books.
42
Editor of the magazine
La Plume.
43
Successful author of, among other works,
Family Life
and
Madame la Boule
.
44
A well-known writer whose collection
The Horns of the Fawn
was praised by Verlaine.
45
Nickname for Prison de la Santé.
46
Invention of Monsieur Marinovitch and Monsieur Szvarvady, which involved placing microphones in the main Paris theatres and connecting them to the central telephone exchange in Rue Louis-le-Grand.
47
Rue Duphot.
48
Published in 1878.
49
Defender of Paris in 1814 â this statue by Guillaume was erected in 1863.
50
What would later become the department store Dufayel.
51
Two films were added to the series subsequently:
Dream at the Fire's Edge
and
Around the Cabin.
The projections took place between October 1892 and March 1900 and attracted 500,000 viewers.
52
See
The Montmartre Investigation
, Gallic Books.
53
âYes, of course' in Russian.
54
Paris, Nepveu, 1823.
55
One of many nicknames given to Emperor Napoleon III.
56
French author (1846â1907). The book appeared in 1881.
57
Published in 1872.
58
Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin, Russian revolutionary and anarchist, 1814â1876.
59
French geographer and theoretician of anarchism, 1830â1905.
60
French anarchist, 1854â1939.
61
His real name was Alphonse Victor Charles Gallaud (1864â1930). Contributors to his paper included such well-known people as Georges Darien, Félix Fénéon and Tristan Bernard.
62
French humorist (1855â1905). Alphonse Allais gave up studying to be a pharmacist in order to become a writer.
63
1801â1887.
64
Born in Recanati, in Ancona in 1798, died in Naples in 1837.
65
A card game.
66
This dedication is printed at the beginning of âThe Cherry Season' in
Songs
, a collection published in 1885 (Imprimerie Robert et Cie, Paris).
67
By Ludovico Ariosto (1474â1533).
68
French musician (1851â1931). In 1886, he composed this work for piano and orchestra (also known as
Symphony on a French Mountain Air
).
69
âCharcoal burners' so called because at first they used to meet in the woods. The name of a secret political society formed in Italy at the beginning of the nineteenth century.
70
Pioneer of biometric research.
71
Who knows? (in Italian).
Murder on the Eiffel Tower
The Disappearance at Père-Lachaise
The Montmartre Investigation
The Assassin in the Marais
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.
IN THE SHADOWS OF PARIS
. Copyright © 2005 by Ãditions 10/18, Département d'Univers Poche. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
ISBN: 978-1-250-01210-4
eISBN 9781250012104
