They are all there, the beauties of time, unless they show up at the Folies-Marigny where the Wallenda sisters dive under water for three minutes. The rue de Paris is the meeting place for plumed and belated vivacious people. Le Diable Boiteux collects the slightest remarks of the "parlotes", where the bald gentlemen of Albert Guillaume's drawings circulate.
Meet Angèle de Lissière, the sunny blonde, Jeanne Révil, Lily d'Arçay, Jane Michel, Jannine de Bréville, Manon Loti, Marthe de Florian, Lili Doria, Yvonne Dorville, Jane d'Arcel, Jane Derval, Sapho de Colomba, Léo Gladioli, Oli de Naygate, Jane de Marny, Féfé Herville, Pauline de Berny, Léo Renn, Émilienne d'Alençon, Maud Durfee, Suzanne Orlandy, Jane de Bremond, Poupette de Ryss, Maud Damuseau, Blanche Delière, Jane Cambrai, Liange from Nangy, the "queens of love", including Jehan des Coulisses and other "gossip-talkers from Cabotinville" describe the triumphs.
They run from the Montmartre festival (where Boni de Castellane goes in costume) to the first beauty contest, from Monte-Carlo to Trouville. Clémence de Pibrac and Nini Fougère, “exquisite queens of elegance”, are launching the straight collar and the short sports skirt, Jane de \larny and Pauline de Berny, in the overcoat bag and the “canotier à la matelote” (very Sapphist). The fashionable flower, the white orchid, the favorite fur, the chinchilla, triumph at the Revue des Ambassadeurs:Salut aux nations! artistic and aphrodisiac spectacle where Paulus made the head of Chamberlain, as well as at La Scala, which gives Paris s'expose.
I tell you it's Edward with a little woman.
And that fat one is Carmen Sylva!
I'm sure I saw the Prince of Bulgaria
with his help of camp and his chamberlain!
And Léopold who came to pull Cléo de Mérode's ears!
The Exhibition is the age of the incognito. Abel Hermant's chronicles teem with young masked princes, eager to be mined for the secret pleasures of the capital.
Paris, once again, has become the aubette of kings. Everyone thinks they have recognized William II. applauding, at the back of a box, the tableaux vivants - so naughty - by Armand Silvestre. The Grand Dukes - Grand Duke Alexis, Grand Duke Wladimir and the Duke of Leuchtenberg, Prince of Cards, the young Grand Dukes Cyril and Boris, sometimes also the Grand Dukes Michael and Peter Nicolaievitch - stroll through the street of Paris; but they no longer hide like in the Viennese operettas, no longer chase the cutthroats of the Place Maubert as in the time of Morny, they let Lady de Gray go "guincher" rue de Lappe, at Gravilliers, or visit the deserted forts and their "escarps" sung by Bruant.
The "party people" who had preferred to dine at Durand, place de la Madeleine, at Voisin, at Paillard, or have a cognac at the Grand Café, above below the Jockey, at the corner of the boulevard and the rue Scribe, now hastened to arrive at the Bonshommes Guillaume, the famous puppets, while others, slightly "tippy" for having tasted too many cocktails, an American novelty , vodka, schiedam, tried the whole range of world intoxicants, lingered at the table, explaining their "state of mind" to the flowergirl.
The flower girl, sir, was a character, an old butler told me. Today, young men approach women themselves. In 1900, we would never have dared. You had to court in the language of flowers...