I had to echo him, but I thought to myself that if ever there had been a time when Chauvinism was excusable....
The show came to an end. There was not the usual rush for the doors when the curtain fell on the final scene of the little revue.
"The best part is still to come!" whispered my companion.
A murmur ran through the crowd, and swelled into "La Marseillaise! La Marseillaise!"
Laquarrière nudged me with his elbow.
"Now we're off!"
He assured me that the orchestra had had orders to delay striking up in order to give the audience time to work itself up.
True enough the uproar was increasing. The audience were on their feet, waving their sticks, and violently demanding:
"La Marseillaise!"
Laquarrière called my attention to the courtesans in the promenade, who, delighting in an evening which promised to be fruitful, stood on tiptoe leaning on the arms of their chance-met companions, and stamping and shouting: "La Marseillaise!"