When Jéricourt had left the room, the young woman sprang to her feet and began to dance a sort of _cachucha_ in front of the mirror, singing:
"Il est parti Ce cher ami! Ah! ça m'enchante! J'en suis contente! Traderi dera la la Traderi deri! Biribi!"
"Faith!" said Roncherolle, "I must tell you frankly, my dear Monsieur Saint-Arthur, that Monsieur Jéricourt doesn't attract me at all, and that I ask you as a favor not to invite me to dine with him again!"
"Nor me; I won't dine with that ill-licked fellow any more; do you hear, my dear?"
"Attention!--You must sing: 'When the bells of the village ring the hour of work, _eh bon, bon, bon_!' I have my glass full, I drink after your three _bons_, and I answer _bon_. You repeat _eh bon bon bon_ three times; I answer _bon_ every time, after drinking; and when I say _bon_ the last time I must have finished my glass."
"Not at all; it's simply a matter of emptying your glass in three swallows; you mustn't begin till after the _eh bon bon bon_, and you must finish it before you say the last _bon_.--Sing, fair Zizi."
"When the bells of the village Ring the hour of work, Eh bon bon bon!"
"Ah! that's a very pretty way!--It's my turn; fill my glass, old fellow, and sing; I'm ready."
Roncherolle sang and Mademoiselle Zizi drank, answered _bon,_ and swallowed her wine at one gulp.
"You went a little fast," said the professor; "but never mind, you'll do it all right."
"My turn!" cried Alfred, lifting his glass in a hand that was far from steady. "Sing, and you'll see; I'm sure of succeeding at this method; I am waiting at the post."
Mademoiselle Zizi sang the ballad. At the first _bon bon!_ Saint-Arthur spilt his wine on the floor; at the second he struck his nose with his glass; and at the third he swallowed the wrong way and strangled; they were obliged to pound him on the back and make him look at the ceiling, in order to bring him to life.
"My dear boy, I think that you have done enough for to-day," said Zizi; "you are not adroit to-night, and I don't want you to learn any more ways.--Great heaven! it's nine o'clock! I must go and dress--I wear a costume that it takes a long while to put on.--I say, I'm a little dizzy; but no matter! it will pass off on the stage.--Adieu, monsieur; I hope to see you again."