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They were more elegant, of course, than the made candle-holders but not to my thinking a whit the handsomer after the paper-cutters had done their work. Their work was turning white paper into fringe and lace. Fringed strips wound all over and about, hid the foundation wood. Paper tulips, deftly fashioned, held the tin rings in ambush with clusters of lacy leaves pendant below.
Shells of all sizes enormous pink ones like those I always remember standing on the mantelpiece in the nursery at home brought back by a sailor brother who used to tell us to put them to our ears and we would hear the noise of the sea and beautiful delicate little mother-of-pearl shells that are almost jewels wonderful frames, boxes, and pincushions, made of shells; big spoons, too, with a figure or a ship painted on them knives, penholders, paper-cutters and brooches, made out of the bones of big fish tassels of bright-coloured sea-weed, corals, vanilla beans curiously worked leather belts some roughly carved ivory crosses, umbrella handles, canes of every description, pipes, long gold earrings, parrots, little birds with bright-coloured feathers, monkeys an extraordinary collection.
The minister had not noticed the sheet of white paper that was lying on the blotting pad of Russia leather, among the satin finished envelopes and the ivory paper-cutters. "What are you going to do, my friend?"
Tolman looked at the knives when the old lady showed them to him, and after a good deal of consideration he selected one which he thought would be a good knife to give to a boy. Then he looked over some things in the way of paper-cutters, whist-markers, and such small matters, which were in a glass case on the counter. And while he looked at them he talked to the old lady.
It was a memento-magazine. The tourists were eagerly buying all sorts and styles of paper-cutters, marked "Souvenir of the Rigi," with handles made of the little curved horn of the ostensible chamois; there were all manner of wooden goblets and such things, similarly marked.
On a carved maple chair on the top of a dais sat the Goat-King a snow-white Goat with mauve eyes and beard; completely surrounded with cuckoo clocks, and festoons of yellow wood table-napkin rings, and paper-cutters. The walls seemed to be covered with them, and the pendulums of the clocks were swinging in every direction.
Some cut out and rigged model ships, others knitted, some made quilts from patches purchased for a trifle by the warders for them in the town, some made fancy boxes of straw, others carved walking-sticks, paper-cutters, and other trifles. Each day, two or three of their number had permission to go down into the town to sell their own and their comrades' manufactures, and to buy materials.
First an antechamber, with cabinets of Italian carving and vitrines and inlaid tables; then the Empress's salon, a very large room filled with low arm-chairs, tables covered with knickknacks, books with paper-cutters still in them, as if they were just being read, screens with engravings a la Louis Seize, and beautiful fans on the walls, also splendid tapestries.
There were cups and saucers, with vines running over and around them, boxes which simulated books, paper-cutters, also rings made of gutta-percha buttons, with silver hearts let in like mosaic. I was as proud of them as a queen of her crown-jewels, and always kept them on exhibition with the precious notes of presentation attached.
There were blue and white tiles around the fireplace and heavy, polished brass before. On the tables lay buff and blue reviews and folded evening papers, massive paper-cutters and large silver boxes. Photographs in silver frames also stood there, of female relatives in court dress and of male relatives in uniform.
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