"Mme. de Bonnieres is a very nice woman," continued Mme. Mauperin. "I like her face. Do you know her, M. Barousse?" she asked, turning to Renee's godfather. "Yes, she is very pleasant." "Oh! why, god-papa, she's like a satyr!" exclaimed Renee. When the word was out some of the guests smiled, and the young girl, turning red, hastened to add: "I only mean she has a face like one." "That's what I call mending matters!" said Denoisel. "Did you stay long in Italy, monsieur?" asked M. Mauperin, by way of changing the subject. "Six months." "And what did you think of it?" "It's very interesting, but one has so much discomfort there. I never could get used to drinking coffee out of glasses." "Italy is the most wretched place to go to; it is the least practical of all places," said Henri Mauperin. "What a state agriculture is in there--and trade, too! One day in Florence at a masked ball I asked the waiter at a restaurant if they would be open all night. 'Oh, no, sir,' he said, 'we should have too many people here.' That's a fact, I heard it myself, and that shows you what the country is. When one thinks of England, of that wonderful initiative power of individuals and of the whole nation, too; when one has seen the business genius of the London citizen and the produce of a Yorkshire farm--Oh, a fine nation that!" "I agree with Henri," said Mme. Davarande, "there is something so distinguished about England. I like the politeness of the English people, and I approve of their way of always introducing people. Then, too, they wrap your change up in paper--and some of their dress materials have quite a style of their own. My husband bought me a poplin dress at the Exposition--Oh, mamma, I have quite decided about my cloak. I was at Alberic's--it's most amusing. He lets one of the girls put a cloak over your shoulders and then he walks round you and just marks with an ebony ruler the places where it does not fit; he scarcely touches you with it, but just gives little taps--like that--and the girl marks each tap with chalk. Oh, he certainly has a lot of character, that Alberic! And then he's the only one--there isn't another place--he has such good style for cloaks. I recognised two of his yesterday at the races. He is very expensive though." "Oh, those people get what they like to ask," said Reverchon. "My tailor, Edouard, has just retired--he's made over a hundred thousand pounds." "Oh, well, quite right," remarked M. Barousse. "I'm always very glad when I see things like that. The workers get the money nowadays--that's just what it is. It's the greatest revolution since the beginning of the world." "Yes," said Denoisel, "a revolution that makes one think of the words of Chapon, the celebrated thief: 'Robbery, Monsieur le President, is the principal trade of the world!'" "Were the races good?" asked Renee. "Well, there were plenty of people," answered Mme. Davarande.