“Oh, yes! it was magnificent; you were at least twelve feet round.”
“I am not talking about how large round I was; I am talking about the material of my dress, which cost twenty francs a yard; and it’s so stiff that it stands alone! it’s superb!”
“You were simply gorgeous!”
“Bah! you men think of nothing but novelty; you go into ecstasies beforehand over a woman you don’t know.”
“I am not going into ecstasies over her; I am simply repeating what I have been told; and I am very glad to see nice people flocking to our part of the country.”
“What are the names of these nice people?”
“Wait a moment—they told me the person’s name—it’s an odd name—that of a place in the outskirts of Paris—a well-known place.”
“What! these distinguished people bear the name of a place?”
“Why not?—It isn’t Saint-Cloud.”
“Ha! ha! Monsieur and Madame Saint-Cloud! that would be amusing!”