Part 27 (2/2)
_Gibbering Fiend Conscience._ Ha, ha! Ho, ho!
_Curtain falls amid chorus of exulting demons._
I have reserved for the close numerous instances of woman's facility at badinage and repartee. It is there, after all, that she s.h.i.+nes perennial and pre-eminent. You will excuse me if I give them to you one after another without comment, like a closing display of fireworks.
And first let me quote from Mrs. Rollins, as an instance of the way in which women often react upon each other in repartee, a little conversation which it was once her privilege to overhear:
”_Margaret._ I wonder you never have been married, Kate. Of course you've had lots of chances. Won't you tell us how many?
”_Kate._ No, indeed! I could not so cruelly betray my rejected lovers.
”_Helen._ Of course you wouldn't tell us _exactly_; but would you mind giving it to us in round numbers?
”_Kate._ Certainly not; the roundest number of all exactly expresses the chances I have had.
”_Charlotte_ (_with a sigh_). Now I know what people mean by Kate's _circle of admirers_!”
A lady was discussing the relative merits and demerits of the two s.e.xes with a gentleman of her acquaintance. After much badinage on one side and the other, he said: ”Well, you never yet heard of casting seven devils out of a man.” ”No,” was the quick retort, ”_they've got 'em yet_!”
”What would you do in time of war if you had the suffrage?” said Horace Greeley to Mrs. Stanton.
”Just what you have done, Mr. Greeley,” replied the ready lady; ”stay at home and urge others to go and fight!”
It was Margaret Fuller who worsted Mrs. Greeley in a verbal encounter.
The latter had a decided aversion to kid gloves, and on meeting Margaret shrank from her extended hand with a shudder, saying: ”Ugh! Skin of a beast! skin of a beast!”
”Why,” said Miss Fuller, in surprise, ”what do you wear?”
”_Silk_,” said Mrs. Greeley, stretching out her palm with satisfaction.
Miss Fuller just touched it, saying, with a disgusted expression, ”Ugh!
entrails of a worm! entrails of a worm!”
Mademoiselle de Mars, the former favorite of the Theatre de Francais, had in some way offended the Gardes du Corps. So one night they came in full force to the theatre and tried to hiss her down.
The actress, unabashed, came to the front of the stage, and alluding to the fact that the Gardes du Corps never went to war, said: ”What has Mars to do with the Gardes du Corps?”
Madame Louis de Segur is daughter of the late Casimir Perier, who was Minister of the Interior during Thiers's administration. When once out of office, but still an influential member of the House, he once tried to form a new Moderate Republican party, meeting with but little success.
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