from him showing a charge against me of thirty-eight dollars for humorous remarks made to my guests at a little chafing-dish party Igave in honor of Balzac, and, worst of all, he had marked it 'Please remit.' Even Antony, when he wrote a sonnet to my eyebrow, wouldn't let me have it until he had heard whether or not Boswell wanted it for publication in the Gossip.With Rubens giving chalk-talks for pay, Phidias doing 'Five-minute Masterpieces in Putty' for suburban lyceums, and all the illustrious in other lines turning their genius to account through the entertainment bureaus, it's impossible to have a salon now.""You are indeed right," said Madame Recamier, sadly."Those were palmy days when genius was satisfied with chicken salad and lemonade.
I shall never forget those nights when the wit and wisdom of all time were--ah--were on tap at my house, if I may so speak, at a cost to me of lights and supper.Now the only people who will come for nothing are those we used to think of paying to stay away.Boswell is always ready, but you can't run a salon on Boswell.""Well," said Portia, "I sincerely hope that you won't give up the functions altogether, because I have always found them most delightful.It is still possible to have lights and supper.""I have a plan for next winter," said Madame Recamier, "but I suppose I shall be accused of going into the commercial side of it if I adopt it.The plan is, briefly, to incorporate my salon.That's an idea worthy of an American, I admit; but if I don't do it I'll have to give it up entirely, which, as you intimate, would be too bad.An incorporated salon, however, would be a grand thing, if only because it would perpetuate the salon.'The Recamier Salon (Limited)' would be a most excellent title, and, suitably capitalized would enable us to pay our lions sufficiently.Private enterprise is powerless under modern conditions.It's as much as I can afford to pay for a dinner, without running up an expensive account for guests; and unless we get up a salon-trust, as it were, the whole affair must go to the wall.""How would you make it pay?" asked Portia."I can't see where your dividends would come from.""That is simple enough," said Madame Recamier."We could put up a large reception-hall with a portion of our capital, and advertise a series of nights--say one a week throughout the season.These would be Warriors' Night, Story-tellers' Night, Poets' Night, Chafing-dish Night under the charge of Brillat-Savarin, and so on.It would be understood that on these particular evenings the most interesting people in certain lines would be present, and would mix with outsiders, who should be admitted only on payment of a certain sum of money.The commonplace inhabitants of this country could thus meet the truly great; and if I know them well, as I think I do, they'll pay readily for the privilege.The obscure love to rub up against the famous here as well as they do on earth.""You'd run a sort of Social Zoo?" suggested Elizabeth.
"Precisely; and provide entertainment for private residences too.An advertisement in Boswell's paper, which everybody buys--""And which nobody reads," said Portia.
"They read the advertisements," retorted Madame Recamier."As I was saying, an advertisement could be placed in Boswell's paper as follows: 'Are you giving a Function? Do you want Talent? Get your Genius at the Recamier Salon (Limited).' It would be simply magnificent as a business enterprise.The common herd would be tickled to death if they could get great people at their homes, even if they had to pay roundly for them.""It would look well in the society notes, wouldn't it, if Mr.John Boggs gave a reception, and at the close of the account it said, 'The supper was furnished by Calizetti, and the genius by the Recamier Salon (Limited)'?" suggested Elizabeth, scornfully.
