“Good-morning, my dear neighbor! It’s a fact—I haven’t seen you since the Barbier de Séville.”
“That is true; and I counted upon you to tell me how the festivities came to an end.”
“Oh! you must have heard all about it from——”
“From whom?”
“You know whom I mean. To tell the truth, I was afraid you were angry with me.”
“Why so?”
“Because I took her husband to the thicket.”
“Aha! so it was you who brought him there, was it?”
“That is to say, it was I and it wasn’t. He was looking for his wife, and I was looking for the Cupids, who were giving themselves indigestion in the attic; the little rascals nearly burst, and their mother declared it was my fault and wanted to tear my eyes out! I was in hard luck at that party!—But to return to your adventure—if you had let me into the secret of your liaison with Madame de Marsan, it wouldn’t have happened; on the contrary, I would have induced the husband to abandon the idea of looking for his wife! But there, as I am always saying to you, you won’t ever tell me anything! your reticence leads to surprises! in fact, you are responsible for my having to give up going to Monsieur de Marsan’s.”
“Why so?”