In the Days of My Youth Part 57

"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:--

'_Roses bloom in the fourth; and your secret, my dear, Which you whisper'd so softly just now in my ear, I repeat word for word, for the others to hear!_'

Mademoiselle Rosalie (whose pardon I implore!) whispered to me that Monsieur Philomene dyed his moustache and whiskers."

There was a general murmur of alarm tempered with t.i.ttering.

Mademoiselle Rosalie was dumb with confusion. Monsieur Philomene's face became the color of a full-blown peony. Madame de Montparna.s.se and Mdlle. Honoria turned absolutely green.

"_Comment!_" exclaimed one or two voices. "Is everything to be repeated?"

"Everything, Messieurs et Mesdames," replied Muller--"everything--without reservation. I call upon Mdlle. Rosalie to reveal the secret of Monsieur Philomene."

MDLLE. ROSALIE (_with great prompt.i.tude_):--Monsieur Philomene whispered to me that Honoria was the most disagreeable girl in Paris, Marie the dullest, and myself the prettiest.

M. PHILOMeNE (_in an agony of confusion_):--I beseech you, Mam'selle Honoria ... I entreat you, Mam'selle Marie, not for an instant to suppose....

MDLLE. HONORIA (_drawing herself up and smiling acidly_):--Oh, pray do not give yourself the trouble to apologize, Monsieur Philomene. Your opinion, I a.s.sure you, is not of the least moment to either of us. Is it, Marie?

But the fair Marie only smiled good-naturedly, and said:--

"I know I am not clever. Monsieur Philomene is quite right; and I am not at all angry with him."

"But--but, indeed, Mesdemoiselles, I--I--am incapable...." stammered the luckless tenor, wiping the perspiration from his brow. "I am incapable...."

"Silence in the circle!" cried Muller, authoritatively. "Private civilities are forbidden by the rules of the game. I call Monsieur Philomene to order, and I demand from him the secret of Madame de Montparna.s.se."

M. Philomene looked even more miserable than before.

"I--I ... but it is an odious position! To betray the confidence of a lady ... Heavens! I cannot."

"The secret!--the secret!" shouted the others, impatiently.

Madame de Montparna.s.se pursed up her parchment lips, glared upon us defiantly, and said:--

"Pray don't hesitate about repeating my words, M'sieur Philomene. I am not ashamed of them."

M. PHILOMENE (_reluctantly_):--Madame de Montparna.s.se observed to me that what she particularly disliked was a mixed society like--like the present; and that she hoped our friend Madame Marotte would in future be less indiscriminate in the choice of her acquaintances.

MULLER (_with elaborate courtesy_):--We are all infinitely obliged to Madame de Montparna.s.se for her opinion of us--(I speak for the society, as leader of the circle)--and beg to a.s.sure her that we entirely coincide in her views. It rests with Madame to carry on the game, and to betray the confidence of Monsieur Dorinet.

MADAME DE MONTPARNa.s.sE (_with obvious satisfaction_):--Monsieur Dorinet told me that Rosalie Desjardin's legs were ill-made, and that she would never make a dancer, though she practised from now till doomsday.

M. DORINET (_springing to his feet as if he had been shot_):--Heavens and earth! Madame de Montparna.s.se, what have I done that you should so pervert my words? Mam'selle Rosalie--_ma chere eleve_, believe me, I never....

"Silence in the circle!" shouted Muller again.

M. DORINET:--But, M'sieur, in simple self-defence....

MULLER:--Self-defence, Monsieur Dorinet, is contrary to the rules of the game. Revenge only is permitted. Revenge yourself on Madame Desjardins, whose secret it is your turn to tell.