"Did you speak to me?" he asked, turning towards her.
"Why, yes, I did have the honour of speaking to you. I asked you whether a couplet would not be the right thing there—a couplet that would go to some well-known air?"
"Yes," he replied, in an absent sort of way, "that would do very well."
"All right, compose it then."
Jean gave a start; he was quite roused now.
"I am to compose it,—why should I be the one to do it?"
"Because you always do them."
"Well, that's a nice reason," protested Jean. "I should say that is precisely why it is someone else's turn. You have only to set the others to work—Henry, or Uncle Alexis, or M. Giraud, or even Pierrot."
"Why do you say even?" asked Pierrot, annoyed. "I should do them quite as well as you."
"Well, do them then! for my part, I have had enough of it."