Part 57 (1/2)
”I begin with my left-hand neighbor,” said Muller, addressing himself with a bow to Mdlle. Rosalie; ”and the circle will please to repeat after me:--'I have the four corners of my Aunt's Flower Garden for sale--
thee, and lov'd thee, and ne'er can forget._'”
MDLLE. ROSALIE _to_ M. PHILOMeNE.--I have the four corners of my Aunt's Flower Garden for sale--
thee, and lov'd thee, and ne'er can forget._'
M. PHILOMeNE _to_ MADAME DE MONTPARNa.s.sE.--I have the four corners of my Aunt's Flower Garden, etc., etc.
MADAME DE MONTPARNa.s.sE _to_ M. DORINET.--I have the four corners of my Aunt's Flower Garden, etc., etc.
Monsieur Dorinet repeats the formula to Madame Desjardins; Madame Desjardins pa.s.ses it on to me; I proclaim it at the top of my voice to Madame Marotte; Madame Marotte transfers it to Mdlle. Honoria; Mdlle.
Honoria delivers it to the fair Marie; the fair Marie tells it to M.
Lenoir, and the first round is completed.
Muller resumes the lead :--
”_In the second grow heartsease and wild eglantine; Fair exchange is no theft--for my heart, give me thine_.”
MDLLE. ROSALIE _to_ M. PHILOMeNE:--
”_In the second grow heartsease and wild eglantine; Fair exchange is no theft--for my heart, give me thine_.”
M. PHILOMeNE _to_ MDLLE. DE MONTPARNa.s.sE:--
”_In the second grow heartsease_,” &c., &c.
And so on again, till the second round is done. Then Muller began again:--
”_In the third of these corners pale primroses grow; Now tell me thy secret, and whisper it low_.”
Mdlle. Rosalie was about to repeat these lines as before; but he stopped her.
”No, Mademoiselle, not till you have told me the secret.”
”The secret, M'sieur? What secret?”
”Nay, Mademoiselle, how can I tell that till you have told me? You must whisper something to me--something very secret, which you would not wish any one else to hear--before you repeat the lines. And when you repeat them, Monsieur Philomene must whisper his secret to you--and so on through the circle.”
Mdlle. Rosalie hesitated, smiled, whispered something in Muller's ear, and went on with:--
”_In the third of these corners pale primroses grow; Now tell me thy secret, and whisper it low_.”
Monsieur Philomene then whispered his secret to Mdlle. Rosalie, and so on again till it ended with M. Lenoir and Muller.
”I don't think it is a very amusing game,” said Madame Marotte; who, being deaf, had been left out of the last round, and found it dull.
”It will be more entertaining presently, Madame,” shouted Muller, with a malicious twinkle about his eyes. ”Pray observe the next lines, Messieurs et Mesdames, and follow my lead as before:--