Cooper is here satirizing the pretensions and gaudy uniforms of civilians
holding nominal commissions as "Colonels" of American state militias}

Desiree was punctual to a minute. The porter, the garcons, the
bourgeois, all knew le Colonel Silky, who was now a great man, wore
moustaches, and went to court--as the court was. In a minute the
commissionaire was in the colonel's ante-chamber. This distinguished
officer had a method in his madness. He was not accustomed to
keeping a body servant, and, as his aim was to make a fortune, will ye
nill ye, he managed, even now, in his hours of pride and self-indulgence,
to get along without one. It was not many moments, therefore, before
he came out and ushered Desiree himself into his salon; a room of ten
feet by fourteen, with a carpet that covered just eight feet by six, in its
centre. Now that they were alone, in this snuggery, which seemed
barely large enough to contain so great a man's moustaches, the parties
understood each other without unnecessary phrases, and I was, at
once, produced.

{as the court was = the Royal Court of King Louis Philippe prided itself
on its simplicity and informality; garcons, bourgeois = waiters,
neighbors; salon = living room}

Colonel Silky was evidently struck with my appearance. An officer of
his readiness and practice saw at once that I might be made to diminish
no small part of the ways and means of his present campaign, and
precisely in proportion as he admired me, he began to look cold and
indifferent. This management could not deceive me, my clairvoyance
defying any such artifices; but it had a sensible effect on Desiree, who,
happening very much to want money for a particular object just at that
moment, determined, on the spot, to abate no less than fifty francs from