’Mesdames et Messieurs,

’Mademoiselle Ferrario et M. de Vauversin auront l’honneur de chanter ce soir les morceaux suivants.

’Madermoiselle Ferrario chantera—­Mignon—­Oiseaux Legers—­France—­ Des Francais dorment la—­Le chateau bleu—­Ou voulez-vous aller?

’M. de Vauversin—­Madame Fontaine et M. Robinet—­Les plongeurs a cheval—­Le Mari mecontent—­Tais-toi, gamin—­Mon voisin l’original—­ Heureux comme ca—­Comme on est trompe.’

They made a stage at one end of the salle-a-manger.  And what a sight it was to see M. de Vauversin, with a cigarette in his mouth, twanging a guitar, and following Mademoiselle Ferrario’s eyes with the obedient, kindly look of a dog!  The entertainment wound up with a tombola, or auction of lottery tickets:  an admirable amusement, with all the excitement of gambling, and no hope of gain to make you ashamed of your eagerness; for there, all is loss; you make haste to be out of pocket; it is a competition who shall lose most money for the benefit of M. de Vauversin and Mademoiselle Ferrario.

M. de Vauversin is a small man, with a great head of black hair, a vivacious and engaging air, and a smile that would be delightful if he had better teeth.  He was once an actor in the Chatelet; but he contracted a nervous affection from the heat and glare of the footlights, which unfitted him for the stage.  At this crisis Mademoiselle Ferrario, otherwise Mademoiselle Rita of the Alcazar, agreed to share his wandering fortunes.  ’I could never forget the generosity of that lady,’ said he.  He wears trousers so tight that it has long been a problem to all who knew him how he manages to get in and out of them.  He sketches a little in water-colours; he writes verses; he is the most patient of fishermen, and spent long days at the bottom of the inn-garden fruitlessly dabbling a line in the clear river.

You should hear him recounting his experiences over a bottle of wine; such a pleasant vein of talk as he has, with a ready smile at his own mishaps, and every now and then a sudden gravity, like a man who should hear the surf roar while he was telling the perils of the deep.  For it was no longer ago than last night, perhaps, that the receipts only amounted to a franc and a half, to cover three francs of railway fare and two of board and lodging.  The Maire, a man worth a million of money, sat in the front seat, repeatedly applauding Mlle. Ferrario, and yet gave no more than three sous the whole evening.  Local authorities look with such an evil eye upon the strolling artist.  Alas!  I know it well, who have been myself taken for one, and pitilessly incarcerated on the strength of the misapprehension.  Once, M. de Vauversin visited a commissary of police for permission to sing.  The commissary, who was smoking at his ease, politely doffed his hat upon the singer’s entrance.  ‘Mr. Commissary,’ he began, ‘I am an artist.’  And on went the commissary’s hat again.  No courtesy for the companions of Apollo!  ‘They are as degraded as that,’ said M. de Vauversin with a sweep of his cigarette.