MAR. With no tablecloth eat we—

RUD. (taking a paper from his pocket) An idea!

COL. and MAR. The Constitutional.

RUD. (unfolding the paper)
Excellent paper!
One eats a meal and swallows news at the same time!

SCH. With parsley I approach the bird,
His beak Lorito opens;
Lorito's wings outspread,
Lorito opens his beak,
A little piece of parsley gulps—
As Socrates, is dead!

(SCHAUNARD, seeing that no one is paying any attention to him, seizes
COLLINE as he passes with a plate.)

COL. Who?

SCH. (pettishly) The devil fly away with you entirely!

(seeing the rest in the act of eating the cold pastry)

What are you doing?