"Why, Monsieur Rochebrune! bonjour! how are you? It's a long while since I had the pleasure of meeting you."
"Very well, thanks, Monsieur Dumouton! indeed, I believe we have not met since Dupréval's dinner."
"True. We had a fine time at that dinner; everybody told some little anecdote; it was very amusing."
"Are you still writing plays?"
"Still. But one can't find such a market as one would like. There is so much intriguing at the theatres! The writing of a play isn't the most difficult part, but the getting it acted. Speaking of theatres, you don't happen to need an umbrella, do you?"
"No, thanks, I have one. Are you selling umbrellas now?"
"No—but—it happens that I bought one yesterday; and, meanwhile, my wife had bought one, too. So you see, we have too many; I would be glad of a chance to get rid of one; I would sell it cheap."
"If I hadn't one already, I might make a trade with you; but as I don't need it——"
"Still, it's often convenient to have two or three; for you lose one sometimes, or lend it to somebody who doesn't return it. That has happened to me a hundred times; and then, when you want to go out, it rains; you look for your umbrella, and it isn't there. That is very annoying; so it's more prudent to have two."
"But you apparently don't think so, as you want to sell one of yours."