"Don't worry, I will speak to him. But what have you left to do? The supper is to consist almost entirely of cold dishes; you arranged all that in advance, and the caterer knows what he is to send."
"And the dinner, monsieur--isn't it necessary to think of that, too?"
"The dinner? Oh! there will only be our intimate friends, and there is no need of ceremony about that."
"No ceremony, if you please, but there will be at least fourteen or fifteen of us, and it seems to me that we need something for that number!"
"I have difficulty in remembering my song to the tune of Le Maçon: 'Je vais la revoir! Ha! ha!'--Never mind, I will execute a pirouette.--I say, Lolotte, I look pretty well, don't I? Isn't my complexion clear?"
"Yes, you are magnificent.--By the way, my dear, I forgot to tell you that I have invited that gentleman who owns the fine estate on the other side of our woods."
"Who? Monsieur Malberg? that man who never speaks to anybody, who never walks where there is likely to be anybody; in short, who lives in his country house like a wolf, never seeing any of his neighbors?"
"I know very well that the people about here say all that; but people are so spiteful, so evil-tongued in these country places! They make a pumpkin of a walnut. This much is certain, that that gentleman has always been very courteous to us; he always bows first when we meet; and he has a very distinguished manner."
"Why, his whole air, and his dress; and then he employs a mulatto, and that is very distinguished!"
"It doesn't cost any more than other servants.--'Je vais la revoir! Ha! ha!'"
"And yesterday, during the day, I happened to meet him in the narrow path, and as he stood aside very politely to let me pass, I said to him: 'Monsieur, we are to have some theatricals to-morrow in our little theatre in these woods; if it would give you any pleasure to come to look on, we should be flattered to have you in our audience.'--He bowed and replied: 'You do me much honor, madame, and I shall try to take advantage of your kind invitation.'"
"Oh! he said that, did he? But he won't come."
"Perhaps not, but I have an idea that he will."
"After all, you did well; there is always room in our theatre, and the larger the audience we have, the more they electrify the actors.--'Je vais la revoir! Ha! ha!'--Tell me what comes next."