"Madame de Luceval tried very hard to have herself adored out of a spirit of contradiction, but she failed, and De Morville's fidelity was unshaken." "How vexed she must have been! for she is such a coquette--so fond of tormenting other women." "Oh! I should like to see her fall into the hands of some one who could tease her heart out." "She has really driven poor Saint Renant half mad." "Does their _liaison_ still continue?" "So the world says, and it is more talked of than ever." "Silence!--Here he is. Ah! how d'ye do, Saint Renant?" "Ah! my dear fellows, how'do? Have you seen the woman in the Polish cap, the _sobieska_?" "No. Who, and where is she?" "Then look up in the dress circle beside a very charming fair creature." "_Ça?_--Why it is a man!" "One of the horse-riders from the Cirque." "A colonel's wife of the hussars." "Say rather the Polish lancers." "I should like to know the name of that delicious fair girl!--She's really lovely." "It is Madame de Brévannes." "The wife of the tall dark man who is leaning forward?" "Yes." "Ah! here is Morville." "I say, Morville, the famous invisible prince is here; but he does not come forward, but remains entrenched in his box with your aunt and the Princess de Hansfeld, so that we cannot catch a glimpse of him." "Is Madame de Hansfeld here?" "Yes, there. Look this way, Morville." "I see." "Go and pay your respects to your aunt, and come back and tell us how the said prince looks when one is close to him, for here we see nothing. I say, do this for us, Morville." "Impossible. I dare not go near my aunt, for I have been smoking a cigar, and she would faint, or something of that sort. I will try, on the contrary, not to be seen by her, as I cannot go into her box. By the way I hope we all mean to support Gercourt. I am much interested for him." "Do you mean to applaud much in your own proper person, Morville?" "Most decidedly. In the first place the play deserves it, and then we must encourage Gercourt. If it succeed, we shall no longer be styled an idle, useless set; and it must succeed, for it is full of wit." "Yes, but if it should fail, we shall be responsible for its failure." "No more than you will be responsible for its success." "Hark! there's the signal." "The solemn moment!" "Poor Gercourt!" "Silence, gentlemen, and listen." "Be quiet, Morville." "We are all ears." "Ah! this passes at the time of Louis XV." "I detest pieces of the time of the regency." "How frightfully the noble father is attired!" "But Mademoiselle *** is deliciously dressed." "Too much rouge." "They wore a great deal at this period." "Yes, and very high up close to the eyes." "How much powder becomes her!" "Do you know her affair with Octave? It is very amusing. Only fancy----" "My dear fellow, do think of poor Gercourt, and listen to his play." "It is very pretty!--Very pretty!" "The decorations are charming." "The fact is, that for a first piece--"