"Do you like the theatre, mademoiselle?"
"Yes, monsieur, very much!"
She answered without the slightest affectation, and with no indication that she was offended by my question. I took that as a good omen, and continued:
"Would you like to go to-night?"
"To-night? Oh, dear, no! But I was looking for the Palais-Royal advertisement; I wanted to know what they were playing there, and I can't ever find it."
"I am sorry I didn't know that sooner, for I would have shown it to you."
"After all, it don't make any difference."
"But if you like the theatre, won't you allow me to give you some tickets?"
"Tickets! Do you have theatre tickets? for what theatre?"
"It doesn't make any difference: I have some for them all. Perhaps you may think that I am lying, that I say this to trap you, when my only purpose is to make your acquaintance. But I assure you, mademoiselle, that I shall be only too happy to be useful to you. Allow me to send you some tickets; that doesn't bind you to anything."