When the song was finished I went into my bedroom and made myself into a _belle dame_ for lunch. My aunt had followed me. “But, my dear,” said she, “you are mad to think I am going to eat with all these workmen. Certainly in all Paris there is no one but yourself who would do such a thing.” “No, no, Aunt; it is all right.” And I dragged her off, when I was dressed, to the dining-room, which was the most habitable room of the house. Five young men solemnly bowed to my aunt, who did not recognise them at first, for they had changed their working clothes and looked like five nice young society swells. Madame Guérard lunched with us. Suddenly in the middle of lunch my aunt cried out, “But these are the workmen!” The five young men rose and bowed low. Then my poor aunt understood her mistake and excused herself in every possible manner, so confused was she. XXIV ALEXANDRE DUMAS—L’ETRANGÈRE—MY SCULPTURE AT THE SALON One day Alexandre Dumas, junior, was announced. He came to bring me the good news that he had finished his play for the Comédie Française, _L’Etrangère_, and that my _rôle_, the Duchesse de Septmonts, had come out very well. “You can,” he said to me, “make a fine success out of it.” I expressed my gratitude to him. A month after this visit we were requested to attend the reading of this piece at the Comédie. The reading was a great success, and I was delighted with my _rôle_, Catherine de Septmonts. I also liked the _rôle_ of Croizette, Mrs. Clarkson. Got gave us each copies of our parts, and thinking that he had made a mistake, I passed on to Croizette the _rôle_ of l’Etrangère which he had just given me, saying to her, “Here, Got has made a mistake—here is your _rôle_.” “But he is not making any mistake. It is I who am to play the Duchesse de Septmonts.” I burst out into irrepressible laughter, which surprised everybody present, and when Perrin, annoyed, asked me at whom I was laughing like that, I exclaimed: “At all of you—you, Dumas, Got, Croizette, and all of you who are in the plot, and who are all a little afraid of the result of your cowardice. Well, you need not alarm yourselves. I was delighted to play the Duchesse de Septmonts, but I shall be ten times more delighted to play l’Etrangère. And this time, my dear Sophie, I’ll be quits with you; no ceremony, I tell you; for you have played me a little trick which was quite unworthy of our friendship!” The rehearsals were strained on all sides. Perrin, who was a warm partisan of Croizette, bewailed the want of suppleness of her talent, so much so that one day Croizette, losing all patience, burst out: “Well, Monsieur, you should have left the _rôle_ to Sarah; she would have played it with the voice you wish in the love scenes; I cannot do any better. You irritate me too much: I have had enough of it!” And she ran off, sobbing, into the little _guignol_, where she had an attack of hysteria.