“Cartouche says there is not much more of virtue in one calling than another, and that those people, like poor actors and actresses, who live from hand to mouth, and can’t be very particular, are in the way of doing more kindnesses for each other than people who lead more regular lives. Cartouche, you know, Holy Father, is a plain, blunt man.”
“Like Mark Antony,” replied the Pope, smiling. Fifi had never heard of such a person as Mark Antony, so very wisely held her peace.
“But this Cartouche seems to be an honest fellow,” added the Pope.
“Holy Father,” cried Fifi, earnestly, “Cartouche is as honest as you are!”
“I should like to see him,” said the Holy Father, smiling at Fifi.
“If I could, I would make him come to you—but he will not even come to see me,” said Fifi sadly. “Before he took me to Madame Bourcet’s he told me I must leave my old life behind me. He said, ‘It will be hard, Fifi, but it must be done resolutely.’ I said: ‘At least if I see no one else of those people, whom I really love, now that I am separated from them—except Julie Campionet’—I shall always hate Julie Campionet—‘I shall see you.’ ‘No,’ said Cartouche, in an obstinate voice that I knew well,—Cartouche is as obstinate as a donkey when he wishes to be,—‘if you see me you will have a new struggle every time we part. Years from now, when you are fixed in another life, when you are suitably married, it will do you no harm to see me, but not now,’—and actually, Holy Father, that mean, cruel, heartless Cartouche has kept his word, and has not been near me, or even answered my letters.”
“Cartouche is a sensible fellow,” said the Holy Father, under his breath.
Luckily Fifi did not catch the words, or she would, in her own mind, have stigmatized the Holy Father as also mean, cruel and heartless, just like Cartouche.
“Very well,” said the Pope aloud, “tell me about Julie Campionet. Why do you hate her?”
“Oh, Holy Father, Julie Campionet is a minx. She married the manager against his will, and has stolen all my best parts, and has made everybody at the theater forget there ever was a Mademoiselle Fifi. You can’t imagine a person more evil than Julie Campionet.”