Fifi made a very pretty bow to both the Emperor and Empress. The Empress seated herself, and her kind eyes, her soft Creole voice, her charming grace, captivated Fifi, as it had done many of the greatest of the earth. But when the Emperor spoke—ah, Fifi was one of the people, after all—and like the old moustaches in Cartouche’s regiment, she would have died for the Emperor after having once seen him. He said to her:
“The Empress and I wish to thank you for your splendid gift to the soldiers’ orphans, Mademoiselle. Was it not your whole fortune? For I remember well hearing that you had drawn the grand prize in the lottery.”
“Yes, Sire,” replied Fifi, “but I am still well off.”
“I am glad to hear it, Mademoiselle.”
“Sire, the manager of the Imperial Theater is to give me fifty francs the week, and the Holy Father, to whom my grandfather was cousin, is to give me forty francs the week as long as I live; that is, if I do not put it on the bill-boards that I am Mademoiselle Chiaramonti, granddaughter of the Pope’s cousin.”
“It was I who caused that relationship to be established, after having heard your name, the evening that my good friend Cartouche invited me to see you act. But what ingenious person was it who dreamed of putting your relationship to the Pope on the bill-boards?”
“I and our manager, Monsieur Duvernet, Sire. Monsieur Duvernet knows how to advertise.”
The Emperor laughed a little.
“I should think so. I have met Monsieur Duvernet—the same evening, Mademoiselle, that I had the pleasure of seeing you act. So the Holy Father interfered with yours and Duvernet’s little plan—ha! ha!”
“Yes, Sire. First, Monsieur Duvernet said he would give me twenty francs to be billed as the Pope’s cousin, and the Holy Father said he would give me twenty-five francs to be billed simply as Mademoiselle Fifi. Then Monsieur Duvernet said thirty francs, and the Holy Father said thirty-five; and Monsieur Duvernet said thirty-eight, and the Holy Father said forty. That was such a large sum, Sire, that Monsieur Duvernet could not meet it.”