CHAPTER XVI

FRIENDS IN THE STALLS

"What a crowd!--What a crowd!"

"If I were De Gercourt, at this moment, what an awful fright I should be in!--What say you?"

"I should most decidedly."

"What fancy is this that has taken hold of him?"

"Oh! he can do nothing like any one else."

"Ah!--bah! Is his comedy really something so extraordinarily good?"

"No, no, I meant to say that the stylish people of the present day do riot write plays. He had nothing to do but follow their example, and keep himself quiet."

"I thought you had been present at a full rehearsal."

"So I have."

"Well, I came in at the third act, and, _ma foi_, I found myself beside Mademoiselle ***, whom I had never seen off the stage: I talked with her for a long while, and heard nothing at all of De Gercourt's piece. She is a very nice person is Mademoiselle ***."

"Then you know nothing of the play?"

"Saint-Clair has seen two rehearsals, and says it is very weak. As for me I hope the thing may succeed most decidedly; but as to applauding like a _claqueur_, why, you see----"

"Heaven defend us from that!"

"Nothing can be in worse taste than to applaud."

"All the club will be here."

"Then they will come in _after_ dinner. That will be droll."

"Ah! there is the Turkish ambassador."

"Ah! and there is that nice Marquise de Luceval, who is displaying her neck to catch a glimpse of the ambassador, or be seen by him."

"_Pardieu!_ and she who aims at every thing eccentric must have a great desire to coquet with this Turk."

"I hate that woman: she turns every thing into ridicule."

"And such a tongue!"

"Do you really think her so very pretty?"

"Why, why, she is nice and piquant, and her features are really good, but that's all."

"Very different from Madame de Longpré, who is just entering her box! There is a really lovely woman."

"She's with that silly little doll Madame Dinville."

"Oh! that simpleton always hooks in with some fashionable woman."

"Talking of Madame de Longpré, where can Maubray be?"

"Just entering their box.--Can Monsieur de Longpré do without him?"

"Unfortunate Longpré!"

"And there is Mademoiselle Dumoulin with her baron. How handsome she is! You must confess that there are very few women like her in society."

"True."

"It is much less wearying, much more convenient. One need not be at any trouble, and is not compelled to make any display of attention."

"No doubt; but men are so weak--vanity will predominate."

"Most decidedly the Princess de Hansfeld is in high beauty to-night. How charmingly that garnet-coloured gown becomes her! What splendid shoulders! I never had so good a view of her before. Who is that with her?"

"Madame de Lormoy, De Morville's aunt."

"But I should say there was some one else at the back of the box?"

"No."

"Yes, I assure you."

"The boxes are so dark."

"Perhaps it is the prince."

"What! have they released him then?"

"So it appears; but we can't see his face--De Morville's aunt hides him."

"Talking of De Morville, how is it he is not here,--he, the bosom friend of Gercourt?"

"He will be here: I met him. His mother is better."

"And how is he?"

"How is he?"

"Not yet cured of his English complaint?"

"No; really his is an incurable fidelity."

"Madame de Luceval tried very hard to have herself adored out of a spirit of contradiction, but she failed, and De Morville's fidelity was unshaken."

"How vexed she must have been! for she is such a coquette--so fond of tormenting other women."

"Oh! I should like to see her fall into the hands of some one who could tease her heart out."

"She has really driven poor Saint Renant half mad."

"Does their _liaison_ still continue?"

"So the world says, and it is more talked of than ever."

"Silence!--Here he is. Ah! how d'ye do, Saint Renant?"

"Ah! my dear fellows, how'do? Have you seen the woman in the Polish cap, the _sobieska_?"

"No. Who, and where is she?"

"Then look up in the dress circle beside a very charming fair creature."

"_Ça?_--Why it is a man!"

"One of the horse-riders from the Cirque."

"A colonel's wife of the hussars."

"Say rather the Polish lancers."

"I should like to know the name of that delicious fair girl!--She's really lovely."

"It is Madame de Brévannes."

"The wife of the tall dark man who is leaning forward?"

"Yes."

"Ah! here is Morville."

"I say, Morville, the famous invisible prince is here; but he does not come forward, but remains entrenched in his box with your aunt and the Princess de Hansfeld, so that we cannot catch a glimpse of him."

"Is Madame de Hansfeld here?"

"Yes, there. Look this way, Morville."

"I see."

"Go and pay your respects to your aunt, and come back and tell us how the said prince looks when one is close to him, for here we see nothing. I say, do this for us, Morville."

"Impossible. I dare not go near my aunt, for I have been smoking a cigar, and she would faint, or something of that sort. I will try, on the contrary, not to be seen by her, as I cannot go into her box. By the way I hope we all mean to support Gercourt. I am much interested for him."

"Do you mean to applaud much in your own proper person, Morville?"

"Most decidedly. In the first place the play deserves it, and then we must encourage Gercourt. If it succeed, we shall no longer be styled an idle, useless set; and it must succeed, for it is full of wit."

"Yes, but if it should fail, we shall be responsible for its failure."

"No more than you will be responsible for its success."

"Hark! there's the signal."

"The solemn moment!"

"Poor Gercourt!"

"Silence, gentlemen, and listen."

"Be quiet, Morville."

"We are all ears."

"Ah! this passes at the time of Louis XV."

"I detest pieces of the time of the regency."

"How frightfully the noble father is attired!"

"But Mademoiselle *** is deliciously dressed."

"Too much rouge."

"They wore a great deal at this period."

"Yes, and very high up close to the eyes."

"How much powder becomes her!"

"Do you know her affair with Octave? It is very amusing. Only fancy----"

"My dear fellow, do think of poor Gercourt, and listen to his play."

"It is very pretty!--Very pretty!"

"The decorations are charming."

"The fact is, that for a first piece--"

"For a man who knows nothing of the profession--"

"Oh! a soliloquy. I never listen to soliloquies, they are such bores."

"So I think."

"Well, then, to return to Octave. Well, you must know that he had seen Mademoiselle *** several times in her new character. You know the one I mean, in Scribe's play, and he fell in love with her--desperately in love."

"_Parbleu!_"

"He knew in the house of----"

"My dear Auguste, pray do listen a little: Gercourt is a friend."

"Why we are talking of one of the actresses in his play."

"Besides soliloquies are always full of repetition."

"Bravo! bravo!"

"The devil!--This is rather strong, I should say: they do not risk these things in good society.

"Yes, but under the regency."

"Ah! there is Madame d'Hauterive and her sister in the minister's box. When free admissions fly about, they are sure to make a part of the audience."

"'Pon my soul it's too bad with 8000 _l._ a-year."

"Some people are so mean."

"Well, now let us listen then; I will tell you poor Octave's history another time, for it evidently annoys Morville."

"Yes, let us listen."

"Ah! really now--that was very witty."

"What a pity Mademoiselle *** has such a long neck!"

"And how the lover talks through his nose!"

"Ah! see the two club boxes are crammed."

"They have evidently dined."

"They'll all be turned out as surely as possible."

"Look at D'Orville, pray do; his face is as red as a peony."

"Capital!--he is really talking to the performers."

"Yes, that's so like him; he is such a droll devil. I'll bet money that he's saying all sorts of odd things to them."

"They are trying to make him quiet."

"What a pity!--we were once together at the _Gaité_,--there was a sheep in the piece--we were in one of the stage-boxes, and D'Orville drew the _mutton_ along by his hind legs."

"How very funny it must have been!"

"It really was--but come--let us attend a little--hum! I say the plot seems rather intricate--eh?"

"Why, to tell the truth, I do not comprehend one syllable of it."

"Which is the father?--that one?"

"In the mulberry suit?"

"No, on the left side--the thin fellow, the distinguished individual who indulged in the soliloquy."

"I don't know."

"Don't you find the thing amusing?"

"Decidedly otherwise."

"What the devil could put it into Gercourt's noddle to write a play?"

"Still that was a neatly turned idea."

"Yes, but what an idea!"

"True; but you hear how they are applauding. It may succeed, but it is decidedly weak."

"First act is over--now for the second."

"Well, gentlemen, what did I tell you?"

"Between ourselves, my dear Morville, it is a pity that it begins so well."

"How so?"

"The remainder of the piece cannot certainly sustain this high tone."

"That remains to be seen; I know the play, and now I have not the slightest doubt of its success."

"Oh, you, Morville, are always an optimist; but, in fact, the progress of the plot is very much involved."

"You did not listen to it."

"Oh, parbleu! if it requires constrained attention in order to comprehend it, that is really a labour."

"And, you know, one does not come to the theatre to have oneself bored to find out all the developments of a plot."

"If it be intricate, that is the author's affair, and I really cannot for his pleasure and gratification refrain from a little quiet chat with a neighbour."

"True; the triumph of art is to make oneself understood without being listened to."

"Devil take you, Morville, you are quite fanatic about Gercourt."