It was whispered into one another's ear: "You all see that he has lost his reason--(for he remains very serious while he is talking)--Do you not see that he is joking?--and you know that he mixes something mysterious into all his jokes." "Yes," said Chamfort, "but I must confess his mysteries are not agreeable, they are too scaffoldish! And when shall all this occur?" _Cazotte._--"Six years will not expire, before all I told you will be fulfilled." "There are many wonders." This time it was I (namely Laharpe) who took the word, "and of me you say nothing?" "With you," replied Cazotte, "a wonder will take place, which will at least be as extraordinary; you will then be a Christian!" Here was a universal exclamation. "Now I am easy," cried Chamfort, "if we don't perish until Laharpe is a Christian, we shall be immortal!" "We, of the female sex," then said the Duchess de Grammont, "we are lucky that we shall be counted as nothing with the revolutions. When I say nothing, I do not mean to say as if we would not mingle ourselves a little into them; but it is assumed that nobody will, on that account, loath at us or at our sex." _Cazotte._--"Your sex will this time not protect you, and you may ever so much desire not to mingle into anything; you will be treated just like men, and no distinction will be made!" _Duchess._--"But what do you tell us here, M. Cazotte? You preach to us the end of the world!" _Cazotte._--"That I do not know; but what I do know, is, that you, Madame Duchess, will be led to the scaffold, you, and many other ladies, and on the public cart, with your hands tied on your back!" _Duchess._--"In this case, I hope I shall have a black trimmed coach?" _Cazotte._--"No, madam! Nobler ladies than you, shall, like you, be drawn on that same cart, with the hands tied on the back!" _Duchess._--"Nobler ladies? How? the princesses by birth?" _Cazotte._-"Nobler yet!" Now was observed a visible excitement in the whole company, and the master of the table took on a dark appearance; they began to see that the joke had been carried too far. Madame de Grammont, to scatter the clouds which the last answer had occasioned, contented herself by saying in a facetious tone: "You shall see that he will not even allow me the comfort of a father confessor!" _Cazotte._--"No, madam! you will not get one; neither you nor any one else! The last one executed, who, out of mercy, will have received a father confessor"--here he stopped a moment-- _Duchess._--"Well, who will be the fortunate one, when this fortunate preference will be granted?" _Cazotte._--"It will be the only preference that he shall yet keep; and this will be the king of France!" Now the host arose from the table, and all with him. He went to Cazotte, and said with an excited voice, "My dear M. Cazotte, this lamentable jest has lasted long. You carry it too far, and within a degree where you place the company in which you are, and yourself, into danger."