"You don't seem to be very strong in the matter of etiquette, Alfred; you'll never be appointed an ambassador, my boy!" Jericourt, observing that the strange guest was of a punctilious temper and familiar with good society, decided to take the thing jocosely; and he rejoined, bowing to Roncherolle: "In truth, it was my place to be presented to monsieur, for he has the advantage of age." "A melancholy advantage, is it not, monsieur? But one must needs accept it when it comes." "Will you have some oysters, Jericourt? I'll ring for the waiter." "No, thanks, I don't eat oysters; I don't care about them any more." "The deuce! you don't care about oysters! Why, I've seen the time when you adored them!" "What a donkey you are, Alfred," cried Zizi, "to be surprised because tastes change!" "Well! my tastes never change so far as food is concerned; I love oysters, I shall always care for them." "Perhaps it's the oysters that care for you," said Jericourt, helping himself to soup. "Hum! this begins well," said Roncherolle to himself, filling the actress's glass with madeira, while she glared savagely at Jericourt. That gentleman, as he ate his soup, glanced at the gentleman opposite from time to time, and said to himself: "I know that man; this certainly isn't the first time that I've seen him; but where in the devil have I met him?" Roncherolle, for his part, having recognized the man of letters at the first glance, smiled slyly as he submitted to be stared at, and continued to be most attentive to his fair neighbor, who said to him, eating for four all the while: "You please me, you do! you're a good fellow! you're worth a deal more than all these youngsters! you're as young as they are, only you've been so longer!" At last Jericourt, unable to contain himself, said to his vis-a-vis: "Mon Dieu! monsieur, it seems to you perhaps that I stare at you rather persistently." "That flatters me, monsieur; I assume that you find me pleasant to look at." "That is not just the reason, monsieur; the fact is that it seems to me that this is not the first time we have met." "True, monsieur; and I recognized you instantly, when you entered the room." "Be good enough then to remind me where it was." "It was near here--at the Chateau d'Eau flower market; you were bargaining for a bouquet, as was an exceedingly ugly little fellow--a friend of yours, I think--and you did not make up your mind; whereupon I arrived and put an end to your hesitation by buying the bouquet;--do you remember now?" "Yes, monsieur, I remember very well." And Jericourt pressed his lips together again and scowled, because that reminder recalled no agreeable memories. "Then there was a _gamin_ who threw the ugly little fellow down, and as he fell he tore his trousers." "Where?" queried Mademoiselle Zizi. "Only on the knees." "Bah! that isn't amusing enough!" "There was also a young flower girl--a very pretty girl, on my word!"