Part 17 (2/2)

”That is the delusion proper to Pierrot,” said Pantaloon, conterown old in sin, and whose appetite increases with his years, is Polichinelle Each one, as you perceive, is designed by Nature for the part he plays This niled Harlequin into which eneracy has debased that first-born of Moed and patched, an iuardly clown”

”Each one of us, as you perceive,” said Harlequin, ned by Nature for the part he plays”

”Physically, my friend, physically only, else we should not have sothis beautiful Leandre to become a lover Then we have Pasquariel here, who is sometimes an apothecary, someti fellow He is also an excellent cook, being a child of Italy, that land of gluttons And finally, you have myself, who as the father of the company very properly play as Pantaloon the roles of father Sometinorant, self-sufficient doctor

But it is rarely that I find it necessary to call myself other than Pantaloon For the rest, I am the only one who has a name--a real name

It is Binet, monsieur

”And now for the ladies First in order of seniority we have Madareat hands towards a buxo blonde of five-and-forty, as seated on the lowest of the steps of the travelling house ”She is our Duegne, or Mother, or Nurse, as the case requires She is known quite simply and royally as Mada since forgotten it, which is perhaps as well Then we have this pert jade with the tip-tilted nose and the wide mouth, who is of course our soubrette Coluhter Climene, an amoureuse of talents not to be matched outside the Comedie Francaise, of which she has the bad taste to aspire to become a member”

The lovely Climene--and lovely indeed she was--tossed her nut-brown curls and laughed as she looked across at Andre-Louis Her eyes, he had perceived by noere not blue, but hazel

”Do not believe him, monsieur Here I am queen, and I prefer to be queen here rather than a slave in Paris”

”Mademoiselle,” said Andre-Louis, quite solen”

Her only ansas a ti lids Meanwhile her father was bawling at the co man who played lovers--”You hear, Leandre! That is the sort of speech you should practise”

Leandre raised languid eyebrows ”That?” quoth he, and shrugged ”The hed approval ”M Leandre is of a readier wit than you concede There is subtlety in pronouncing it a comhed, M Binet aood-humoured mockery

”You think he has the wit to mean it thus? Bah! His subtleties are all unconscious”

The conversation becoeneral, Andre-Louis soon learnt what yet there was to learn of this strolling band They were on their way to Guichen, where they hoped to prosper at the fair that was to open on Monday next They wouldup their stage in the old ive their first perforht, in a new canevas--or scenario--of M Binet's ohich should set the rustics gaping And then M Binet fetched a sigh, and addressed himself to the elderly, swarthy, beetle-browed Polichinelle, who sat on his left

”But we shall miss Felicien,” said he ”Indeed, I do not knoe shall do without him”

”Oh, we shall contrive,” said Polichinelle, with his mouth full

”So you always say, whatever happens, knowing that in any case the contriving will not fall upon yourself”

”He should not be difficult to replace,” said Harlequin

”True, if ere in a civilized land But where a the rustics of Brittany are we to find a fellow of even his poor parts?” M Binet turned to Andre-Louis ”He was our property-e-carpenter, our man of affairs, and occasionally he acted”

”The part of Figaro, I presuh

”So you are acquainted with Beau man with fresh interest

”He is tolerably well known, I think”

”In Paris, to be sure But I had not dreamt his fame had reached the wilds of Brittany”