Then turning to Liane, the man, evidently an honest, happy-hearted Nicois from his Italian accent, bowed gracefully, and with a smile said,--"Mademoiselle, I believe we have taught them a lesson." Before she could thank him he was lost in the turbulent, laughing crowd. And as Zertho passed gaily along at Liane's side, he sang softly to himself the refrain of "L'Amoureuse,"--the slightly risky parody, popular at that moment,-- "Voila l'amoureuse, A la demarch' voluptueuse, Qui se pavan' soir et matin, Avec des airs de p'tit trottin; Voila l'amoureuse, A la demarch' voluptueuse, Elle est joli' sacre matin! Joli' comme un petit trottin!" Gradually they fought their way back to the Place Massena, and found it a scene of brilliant colour, but the fight had now become so general that the very heavens seemed obscured by the confetti, which, on striking, crumbled into dense clouds of fine, white dust. The fanfares of the Chasseurs Alpins were sounding, the great effigy of the King was slowly moving across towards the leafy public garden, and the colossal figure of an ingenue was sailing along with the crowd with folded arms, perfectly pleased with herself and the Carnival world in general. Everyone here wore the wire mask and domino, even the vendors of confetti being compelled to assume grilles to protect their sun-tanned faces from their own wares. The Carnival contagion had now spread to even the puppets and musicians themselves; for these left their lofty perches on the cars where they had been observed by all during the processions, and descending to earth, whirled among that motley crowd of dancers and of forms gigantic, gay and grotesque. Although conflict and retaliation were the order of the day, and disorder the spirit supreme, to the credit of Nice and her crowds be it said that on such a day, when so many liberties were possible, were so few taken. The Mayor had caused a precautionary notice to be posted up, prohibiting any confetti being thrown at the police, gendarmes, or musicians, but even the gendarmes, usually an awe-inspiring, spick and span body, when threatened in fun, would reply, "Fire away, your bullets don't hurt," and laughing defiance, would receive volley upon volley of the dusty pellets upon their dark uniforms without flinching, and laugh back defiantly.