and bowed himself off amid thunders of applause. As a Paris singer has not to submit his lines to a paternal County Council, they are frequently a trifle more free than those to which English audiences are in the habit of listening. Nevertheless, it must be remembered that this charity function was a very smart affair, all the best-known people remaining in Paris being present. After Bruant, an outburst of applause greeted the renowned Spanish dancer, La Belle Otero, who danced and sang, followed by pastourelles of the eighteenth century, romances by Florian and Marie Antoinette, and songs by Paulus. Lastly, there bounded upon the stage Eugénie Buffet, the “chanteuse des rues,” together with her troupe. She sang that weird song of Paris life so popular at the cafés, called “À la Villette,” commencing:
Il avait pas encor’ vingt ans,
I’ connaissait pas ses parents,
On l’app’lait Toto Laripette,
À la Villette.
Il était un peu sans façon,
Mais c’était un joli garçon:
C’était l’pus beau, c’était l’pus chouette,
À la Villette.
The audience had heard much of the song, but few of those present had ever ventured into the insignificant café where she sang it nightly. Consequently there was distinct novelty in it. She sang it through, to the accompaniment of her street musicians, until she came to the final verse:
La derniér’ fois que je l’ai vu,
Il avait l’torse à moitié nu,
Et le cou pris dans la lunette,
À la Roquette.
Then, with a sudden outburst of enthusiasm, the whole audience threw hundreds of sous and francs to the singer.
Sibyl, seated beside me, her ladyship having found a seat with the Baronne de Chalencon some distance away, turned to me, saying:
“The air is simply suffocating here. Shall we go?”
“Certainly,” I answered, glad myself to escape from the semi-asphyxiation. We rose and passed out together. On the stairs we met Prince Roland, delighted with the success of the entertainment, ascending, with, as usual, hat on the back of his head and hands in pockets.
“Ah, mon cher Ingram!” he cried, greeting us. “And you are here with mademoiselle?”
Sibyl congratulated him upon his great success, whereupon he answered, with a broad smile: