“I have heard it said, I observed, that you began writing poems at a very early age. Is it taking too great a liberty to ask how early you began to write in verse?
“He was getting interested, as people are apt to be when they are themselves the subjects of conversation.
“'Very early,—I hardly know how early. I can say truly, as Louise Colet said,
“'Je fis mes premiers vers sans savoir les ecrire.'”
“I am not a very good French scholar, said I; perhaps you will be kind enough to translate that line for me.
“'Certainly. With pleasure. I made my first verses without knowing how to write them.'
“How interesting! But I never heard of Louise Colet. Who was she?
“My man was pleased to give me a piece of literary information.
“'Louise the lioness! Never heard of her? You have heard of Alphonse Karr?'
“Why,—yes,—more or less. To tell the truth, I am not very well up in French literature. What had he to do with your lioness?