"You have a pretty neighbor, have you?" queried Albert. "Charming! Seventeen years old at most, I judge; a fascinating figure! and a saucy, mischievous face--with innocence, grace, and modesty in her glance. Seriously, she's one of the prettiest grisettes I ever saw." "Send for her!" cried the young men in chorus. "Make her come down, Balivan." "Shall I go up and fetch her?" asked Tobie, taking his hand from his nose, which was badly swollen by the blow he had received. "I will magnetize her; she will enjoy that," said Dupétrain. "No, messieurs," said Balivan, "there's no way of inducing her to come here. Parbleu! if it could be done, I'd ask nothing better. I have offered again and again to paint her portrait and give it to her--to paint her in any costume she chose." "Even as Eve, if she wanted you to, eh?" "All my offers have been declined. She's a virtuous young woman, it would seem. She lives with her aunt, and never goes out except to her work; she's a dressmaker." "Ha! ha!" laughed Célestin; "she's a dressmaker, and you haven't triumphed over her, my dear fellow! Others may succeed better; and if I should take a hand----" "Oh! you are such a superb creature, it's quite possible. Still, I doubt it." "What do you want to bet?" "Come, attend to your game, messieurs, for God's sake!" said Mouillot. "Sapristi! I have _misty_, and not one of you stands!" "Monsieur had _brelan_, and he passed!" cried Tobie. "What a blunder!" "Not at all. Do you think we're playing _brelan_?" "You're not playing _brelan?_ Why, aren't you playing bouillotte?" "Yes, but the _brelan_[E] is never played in bouillotte, nowadays. Where have you been, young Pigeonnier?" "What do you play, then?" "_Misty._" "What's _misty_?" "The knave of clubs with two cards of the same color and same size; for instance, two red nines, or two black aces." "Very well. And the _brelan_ doesn't count, you say?" "Not unless _misty_ isn't out; in that case, it's good." "And the _brelan carré_?" "Oh! that's always good, and it beats _misty_." "The devil! I'm rather mixed up with all this; I'm afraid I shall make mistakes." "Oh, no! you'll get hold of it in a minute." Monsieur Dupétrain walked up to Tobie, who was standing by the card table, and said: "While you're not playing, I can tell you the anecdote about magnetism that you were so curious to hear. After you left the dinner table, I didn't choose to tell it; I preferred to wait for you.--A young married woman, whose husband had just started on a journey----" "Excuse me," said Tobie, "but I am studying _misty;_ I don't quite understand this new way of playing bouillotte, and I shall be very glad not to make any mistakes. Besides, the quarter has struck, messieurs. Who goes out?" "Mouillot and Célestin.--Come, messieurs, give up your seats." "We'll just finish the _volante_, then we'll go." "The _volante_?" exclaimed Tobie; "what in the deuce is that?"