M. DORINET (springing to his feet as if he had been shot):--Heavens and earth! Madame de Montparnasse, what have I done that you should so pervert my words? Mam'selle Rosalie--ma chère elève, believe me, I never....
"Silence in the circle!" shouted Müller again.
M. DORINET:--But, M'sieur, in simple self-defence....
MULLER:--Self-defence, Monsieur Dorinet, is contrary to the rules of the game. Revenge only is permitted. Revenge yourself on Madame Desjardins, whose secret it is your turn to tell.
M. DORINET:--Madame Desjardins drew my attention to the toilette of Madame de Montparnasse. She said: "Mon Dieu! Monsieur Dorinet, are you not tired of seeing La Montparnasse in that everlasting old black gown? My Rosalie says she is in mourning for her ugliness."
MADAME DESJARDINS (laughing heartily):--Eh bien--oui! I don't deny it; and Rosalie's mot was not bad. And now, M'sieur the Englishman (turning to me), it is your turn to be betrayed. Monsieur, whose name I cannot pronounce, said to me:--"Madame, the French, selon moi, are the best dressed and most spirituel people of Europe. Their very silence is witty; and if mankind were, by universal consent, to go without clothes to-morrow, they would wear the primitive costume of Adam and Eve more elegantly than the rest of the world, and still lead the fashion,"
(A murmur of approval on the part of the company, who take the compliment entirely aux serieux.)
MYSELF (agreeably conscious of having achieved popularity):--Our hostess's deafness having unfortunately excluded her from this part of the game, I was honored with the confidence of Mdlle. Honoria, who informed me that she is to make her début before long at the Theatre Français, and hoped that I would take tickets for the occasion.
MDLLE. ROSALIE (satirically):--Brava, Honoria! What a woman of business you are!
MDLLE. HONORIA (affecting not to hear this observation)--