“And the grisette—otherwise called the linen-draper’s apprentice?”
“I think that she’s very nice.”
“And Malvina, who dances so well?”
“She is very much to my taste.”
“Well! if that is so, how do you stand with all these women? Men don’t make any secret of such things among themselves, parbleu!”
“How do I stand? Why, no farther ahead than I was.”
Daréna roared with laughter, to the great annoyance of Chérubin, and rejoined at last:
“Then, my dear fellow, it’s because the will was lacking! and, according to that, I am bound to think that all these ladies have made very little impression on your heart. However, I understand that: salon conquests—grisettes—lorettes—there’s nothing interesting in any of them! Sometimes chance brings us into contact with something better. But here we are at the Cirque.”
Chérubin purchased the tickets—Daréna always left that duty to him—and they entered the theatre.
“This is a very good place,” said Chérubin, stopping at the entrance to the balcony.