A Mummer's Tale

opened upon the garden of the Luxembourg. She gave Chevalier a friendly welcome, for she thought kindly of him because he loved F

They were hung about a woman's cuirass, which was provided with round breast-shields of tin-plate; a piece of armour which Félicie had worn last winter, while still a pupil at the Conservatoire,

er. I don't expect her before midnight. Sh

e. I left the theatre after the

My daughter would have been so pleased if you had waited.

replied am

s, there are plen

d she added, with great humility: "I should indeed be happy if she could really make a hit. It is so difficult to come to the fore in

ish any pity upon Félicie. With a shru

n. She is an actress heart and soul. She h

l indulged in

cie's health is not bad, but she must not overdo it.

e table a dish of fried sausage, a

ioned nowadays. We are given to conceiving desires which suit themselves to our condition. Now, in the misery of his existence, in the distress of his heart, he was full of an eager desire that Félicie, who loved him no longer, should love Girmandel, whom she loved but li

who saw nothing that was other than respectable in the relations of her household with the Government official, who was well-to-do, married, and the father of tw

ked, "I saw Girmandel

teuil made

in a cab. I certainly thought I recognized him

teuil made

colour-he's an easy man

teuil made

him at one time, you and Fé

s, we still see him," repl

ie had given Girmandel the go-by, and he, being a man of the world, had promptly cut off supplies. Madame Nanteuil, despite her years, had resumed an old lover, out of her love for her child, that she might not want for anything. She had renewed her former liaison with Tony Meyer, the picture-dealer in the Rue d

lowing up his

hat Girmandel was still

Madame Nanteuil. "A ma

sed up,

plied Madame Nant

to nod. Then, being aroused from her somnolence by the servant,

r Chevalier, is a

m. And the proof that they had combined against him was that the

is that which does me harm. For example, in La Nuit du 23 octobre, which is being rehearsed now, I am Florentin: I have only six lines; i

stacles there were, no doubt, but in the end one overcame them. He

aid Chevalier gloomil

d that she had been det

akes to see her home, and you k

e, to show that he remembered his mann

w. She will be pleased to find you

er and bigger, and each little stroke of the pendulum touched him to the quick, lending a keener eye to his jealousy, by recording the moments which Félicie was passing with Ligny. For he was now convinced t

n the pavement below, Madame Nanteuil returned

mustn't be discouraged. One should not lose

nodded acq

t they deserve. It needs but a moment to free

ere were such things as sudden oppo

self one day, and a big one. But what's the good of being a great artist if one isn't happy? There are stupid worries which are te

his deep-set eyes fell upon the trophy

sufferings, if one endures them too long

he revolver which he alwa

th that gentle determination not to know any

ecide what to have to eat. Félicie is sick of ev

epressing silence. The clock struck one. Chevalier's suffering had by this time attained the serenity of a flood tide. He was now certain. The cabs were not so frequent and their wheels echoed more loudly along th

f agitation, yet hopeful. She had come! Who could tell what she would

s a vivid red; she was tired, indifferent, mute, happy and lovely, seeming to guard beneath her clo

," said her mother. "Aren't yo

r the back of the chair, she revealed her slender figure in its little black schoolgirl's dress, and, res

ff well to-night?" a

te w

e to keep you company. It

Well, let him co

g, like Ceres in the old woman's house. Then she pushed aside her plate, and leaning back in

drunk her glass of mulle

ur Chevalier, I have my acc

he usually employed to annou

licie, Chevalier s

ler; but I'm going mad for love

do hear. You needn

iculous,

ot ridiculo

complete t

her, dragging hi

s Ligny who saw you home, I know it. He brought you

not reply,

t, if y

he repeated, in an urge

me he

or shoulders, have rendered him perfectly submissive, and almost happy. But she maintained a maliciou

hed ho

me home, as on other nights, with Madame Doulce, or else alone. If I

you have done, h

ve followed

with hard, unnat

llowed me, even once, I'll never see you again. To begin with, you h

onishment and an

en't the right to? You tel

ression of disgust. "It's a mean trick to spy on a woman, if you once try to fi

to each other, I am nothing to you. We have never

as losing

o you want me

er that you gave

expect me to think of that al

in curiosity than in anger, and sai

ing to take you back, and keep you. Think! I can't go on suffering for ever, like a poor dumb beast. Listen. I'll start with a clean slate. Let us begin to love one another over agai

that she had doubts as to his dramatic future, and, i

e, that I am insulting you when I offer you marriage. Far from it! We will marry later on, as soon as it is possible and suitable. Of course, there is no need for hurry. Meanwhile, we will resume our pleasant habits of the Rue des Martyrs. You remember, Félicie; we were so happy there! The bed wasn't wide, but we used to say: "That do

elpiece the pack of cards with which her mother played

You hear m

I am busy with a

n't have you receiving that

her cards s

are at the bot

eign Affairs is the refuge of incompetents." Raising his voice, he cont

hout, then. Ma

ed in muff

d that I don't intend that

piteful little f

he is my

his chair, gazing at her with the eye o

lover, he won't

ropped t

med. She forced

very well

him, because he was getting unbearable. He became calmer. She then informed him that she was tired out

you wish to avoid a trage

rough the ha

the porter's lodge, so t