As the examination was to take place a month after this visit, it became necessary to prepare for it. My mother did not know any theatrical people. My godfather advised me to learn _Phèdre_, but Mlle. de Brabender objected, as she thought it a little offensive, and refused to help me if I chose that. M. Meydieu, our old friend, wanted me to work at Chimène in _Le Cid_, but first he declared that I clenched my teeth too much for it. It was quite true that I did not make the _o_ open enough and did not roll the _r_ sufficiently either. He wrote a little note-book for me, which I am copying textually, as my poor dear Guérard religiously kept everything concerning me, and she gave me, later on, a quantity of papers which are useful now. The following is our odious friend’s work: “Every morning instead of _do ... re ... mi ..._ practise _te ... de ... de ..._ in order to learn to vibrate.... “Before breakfast repeat forty times over, _Un—très—gros—rat—dans—un—très—gros—trou_, in order to vibrate the _r_. “Before dinner repeat forty times: _Combien ces six saucisses-ci? C’est six sous, ces six saucisses-ci. Six sous ces six saucisses-ci? Six sous ceux-ci! Six sous ceux-là; six sous ces six saucissons-ci!_ in order to learn not to whizz the _s_. “At night, when going to bed, repeat twenty times: _Didon dina, dit- on, du dos d’un dodu dindon._ “And twenty times: _Le plus petit papa, petit pipi, petit popo, petit pupu._ Open the mouth square for the _d_ and pout for the _p_.” He gave this piece of work quite seriously to Mlle. de Brabender, who quite seriously wanted me to practise it. My governess was charming, and I was very fond of her, but I could not help yelling with laughter when, after making me go through the _te de de_ exercise, which went fairly well, and then the _très gros rat_, &c., she started on the _saucisson_ (sausages)! Ah, no. There was a cacophony of hisses in her toothless mouth, enough to make all the dogs in Paris howl. And when she began with the _Didon_, accompanied by the _plus petit papa_, I thought my dear governess was losing her reason. She half closed her eyes, her face was red, her moustache bristled up, she put on a sententious, hurried manner; her mouth widened out and looked like the slit in a money-box, or else it was creased up into a little ring, and she purred and hissed and chirped and fooled without ceasing. I flung myself exhausted into my wicker chair, choking with laughter, and great tears poured from my eyes. I stamped on the floor, flung my arms out right and left until they were tired, and rocked myself backwards and forwards, pealing with laughter.