"A _bonjourier_ has always a gentlemanly appearance, and his shoes
always well made and thin. He gives the preference to kid before any
other leather, and takes care to bruise and break the sole that it may
not creak or make any noise; sometimes the sole is made of felt; at
other times, and especially in winter, the kid slipper, or dogskin shoe,
is replaced by list shoes, with which they can walk, go up stairs, or
descend a staircase, without any noise. The theft _au bonjour_, is
effected without violence, without skeleton keys, without burglariously
entering. If a thief sees a key in a door of a room, he first knocks
very gently, then a little harder, then very loudly; if no person
answers, he turns the handle, and thus enters the antechamber.
He then advances to the eating-room, penetrates even to the adjoining
apartments, to see if there be any person there; returns, and if the key
of the sideboard is not to be seen, he looks in all the places in which
he knows it is generally deposited, and if he finds it, he instantly
uses it to open the drawers, and taking out the plate, he places it
generally in his hat, after which, he covers it with a napkin, or fine
cambric handkerchief, which, by its texture and whiteness, announces the
gentleman.
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25