You see how accurately the daily press gauged the situation! it has not lost the tradition even to-day. Nevertheless, although inaccurate enough in detail, the news was fundamentally true; and it circulated from corridor to corridor and from storey to storey. It flew from office to office, by means of people coming in and going out, just as though Madame la Duchesse d'Orléans had given birth to twins. I was congratulated by all my colleagues, some with sincerity, others mockingly; only the chief of my office hid himself from view. But, since he kept me going with four times my usual amount of work, it was quite evident he had seen the paper. M. Deviolaine came in at two o'clock and at five minutes past two he sent for me. I walked into his office with my head in the air and my hands perched jauntily on my hips. "Ah! there you are, you young blade!" he said. "Yes, here I am." "So you asked me for a holiday yesterday in order to play pranks!" "Have I neglected my work?" "That is not the question." "Excuse me, M. Deviolaine, on the contrary it is the only question." "But don't you see that they have been making game of you?" "Who has?" "The Comedians." "Nevertheless, they have accepted my play." "Yes, but they will not put it on the stage." "Ah! we shall see!" "And if they do produce your play...." "Yes?" "You will still need the approbation of the public." "Why should you imagine it will not please the public since it has pleased the Comedians?" "Come now, do you want to make me believe that you, who only had an education that cost three francs a month, will be successful when such people as M. Viennet and M. Lemercier and M. Lebrun fall flat?... Go along with you!" "But instead of judging me beforehand, wouldn't it be fairer to wait?" "Oh yes, wait ten years, twenty years! I sincerely hope I shall be buried before your play is acted, and then I shall never see it." At this juncture, Ferésse slily opened the door. "Excuse me, M. Deviolaine," he said, "but there is a _Comedian_ here (he carefully emphasised the word) asking for M. Dumas." "A Comedian! What Comedian?" M. Deviolaine asked. "M. Firmin, from the Comédie-Française." "Yes," I replied quietly; "he takes the part of Monaldeschi." "Firmin plays in your piece?" "Yes, he takes Monaldeschi.... Oh, it is admirably cast: Firmin plays Monaldeschi, Mademoiselle Mars Christine...." "Mademoiselle Mars plays in your piece?" "Certainly." "It is not true." "Would you like her to tell it you herself?" "Do you imagine I am going to take the trouble to assure myself you are lying?" "No; she will come here." "Mademoiselle Mars will come here?" "I am sure she will have the kindness to do that for me." "Mademoiselle Mars?" "Yes, you see that Firmin...."