"By the way, do you remember the way we behaved last night?—Well! we had a most extraordinary scene! You know madame won’t let us read in bed, because she’s afraid of fire."
"She is quite right; as to that, I agree with her."
"That’s all right, but we girls don’t care a fig for her orders. Last night, after Fœdora had dictated a note to Thénaïs, and when Adeline had finished telling us how she detected her lover’s treachery—Oh! by the way, I never told you that story; it’s terribly funny!"
"My dear, if you would be good enough to put on my curl-papers now, I should——"
"The iron isn’t hot yet; it’s on the stove upstairs; no matter—give me some tissue paper, I’ll arrange you."
"Put on fifteen."
"Why not thirty-six, like another Ninon?—Look out now, don’t move!—Just imagine that Fidélio—that’s Adeline’s lover’s name—has a business agency office, and always keeps pretty little maid servants, who, they say, he’s in the habit of making love to. It’s so well known in the quarter, that they always tell a girl of it beforehand when she enters his service, so that she may know what to expect——"
"The iron——"
"Nonsense! don’t bother me with your iron!—Adeline didn’t know all that. The rascal had introduced himself to her under a false name. Ah! what villains men are! Instead of putting on curl-papers for you, I ought to tear all your hairs out, one by one!"
"Fifine—I beg you——"