"We must have a little rest."
"All right, four days it is. You will be announced to-morrow. Have you any wardrobe?"
"No; for we had no idea of acting."
"No matter; I will see that you have costumes."
With that, Floridor left our friends, and they went to bed, Dubourg laughing over this latest adventure, and Ménard murmuring:
"If monsieur le baron does it, why shouldn't I do it?"
When he woke the next morning, poor Ménard could not believe that he was really going to play Thésée; but Dubourg appeared, book in hand, and gave him his rôle, which the little manager had already sent, with the information that there would be a rehearsal at noon.
"Bah!" said Dubourg; "there aren't a hundred lines in your part. What's that to you, who have learned Horace and Virgil and so many other authors by heart?"
"That's all very well; but I have passed my life learning them, while I have only three days to commit this to memory."
"Don't be afraid, I'll answer for everything; besides, there's a prompter."