M. DORINET:—­But, M’sieur, in simple self-defence....

MULLER:—­Self-defence, Monsieur Dorinet, is contrary to the rules of the game.  Revenge only is permitted.  Revenge yourself on Madame Desjardins, whose secret it is your turn to tell.

M. DORINET:—­Madame Desjardins drew my attention to the toilette of Madame de Montparnasse.  She said:  “Mon Dieu! Monsieur Dorinet, are you not tired of seeing La Montparnasse in that everlasting old black gown?  My Rosalie says she is in mourning for her ugliness.”

MADAME DESJARDINS (laughing heartily):—­Eh bien—­oui! I don’t deny it; and Rosalie’s mot was not bad.  And now, M’sieur the Englishman (turning to me), it is your turn to be betrayed.  Monsieur, whose name I cannot pronounce, said to me:—­“Madame, the French, selon moi, are the best dressed and most spirituel people of Europe.  Their very silence is witty; and if mankind were, by universal consent, to go without clothes to-morrow, they would wear the primitive costume of Adam and Eve more elegantly than the rest of the world, and still lead the fashion,”

(A murmur of approval on the part of the company, who take the compliment entirely aux serieux.)

MYSELF (agreeably conscious of having achieved popularity):—­Our hostess’s deafness having unfortunately excluded her from this part of the game, I was honored with the confidence of Mdlle.  Honoria, who informed me that she is to make her debut before long at the Theatre Francais, and hoped that I would take tickets for the occasion.

MDLLE.  ROSALIE (satirically):—­Brava, Honoria!  What a woman of business you are!

MDLLE.  HONORIA (affecting not to hear this observation)—­

     “Roses bloom in the fourth, and your secret, my dear,
     Which you whispered so softly just now in my ear,
     I repeat word for word for the others to hear.”

Marie said to me.... Tiens!  Marie, don’t pull my dress in that way.  You shouldn’t have said it, you know, if it won’t bear repeating!  Marie said to me that she could have either Monsieur Mueller or Monsieur Lenoir, by only holding up her finger—­but she couldn’t make up her mind which she liked best.

MDLLE.  MARIE (half crying):—­Nay, Honoria—­how can you be so—­so unkind ... so spiteful?  I—­I did not say I could have either M’sieur Mueller or... or...

M. LENOIR (with great spirit and good breeding):—­Whether Mademoiselle used those words or not is of very little importance.  The fact remains the same; and is as old as the world.  Beauty has but to will and to conquer.

MULLER:—­Order in the circle!  The game waits for Mademoiselle Marie.

MARIE (hesitatingly):—­

     “Roses bloom in the fourth, and your secret”

M’sieur Lenoir said that—­that he admired the color of my dress, and that blue became me more than lilac.