"Dis-moi, soldat, dis-moi, t'en souviens-tu?"
He sang it over twice, four times, ten times, interrupting himself to say—
"Oh! oh! that couplet will be done to death if the Censorship lets it pass."
For, from that time, the honourable institution called the Censorship was in full vigour, and it has gone on increasing and prospering ever since.
I confess I was very proud of myself; I did not think such a masterpiece was in me. Adolphe ran off to sing the couplet to his father, who, as he chewed his toothpick, asked—
"Did you make it?"
"No, father; Dumas did."
"Hum! So you are writing a comic opera with Dumas?"
"Yes."