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ter…House。 Hence； tea…gardens； goguettes； caboulots； bouibuis； mastroquets； bastringues； manezingues； bibines of the rag…pickers； caravanseries of the caliphs； I certify to you； I am a voluptuary； I eat at Richard's at forty sous a head； I must have Persian carpets to roll naked Cleopatra in！
Where is Cleopatra？
Ah！
So it is you； Louison。
Good day。〃
＇24＇ The slang term for a painter's assistant。
Thus did Grantaire； more than intoxicated； launch into speech； catching at the dish…washer in her passage； from his corner in the back room of the Cafe Musain。
Bossuet； extending his hand towards him； tried to impose silence on him； and Grantaire began again worse than ever：
〃Aigle de Meaux； down with your paws。
You produce on me no effect with your gesture of Hippocrates refusing Artaxerxes' bric…a…brac。 I excuse you from the task of soothing me。
Moreover； I am sad。 What do you wish me to say to you？
Man is evil； man is deformed； the butterfly is a success； man is a failure。
God made a mistake with that animal。
A crowd offers a choice of ugliness。 The first er is a wretch； Femmewomanrhymes with infame； infamous。
Yes； I have the spleen； plicated with melancholy； with homesickness； plus hypochondria； and I am vexed and I rage； and I yawn； and I am bored； and I am tired to death； and I am stupid！ Let God go to the devil！〃
〃Silence then； capital R！〃 resumed Bossuet； who was discussing a point of law behind the scenes； and who was plunged more than waist high in a phrase of judicial slang； of which this is the conclusion：
〃And as for me； although I am hardly a legist； and at the most； an amateur attorney； I maintain this：
that； in accordance with the terms of the customs of Normandy； at Saint…Michel； and for each year； an equivalent must be paid to the profit of the lord of the manor； saving the rights of others； and by all and several； the proprietors as well as those seized with inheritance； and that； for all emphyteuses； leases； freeholds； contracts of domain； mortgages〃
〃Echo； plaintive nymph；〃 hummed Grantaire。
Near Grantaire； an almost silent table； a sheet of paper； an inkstand and a pen between two glasses of brandy； announced that a vaudeville was being sketched out。
This great affair was being discussed in a low voice； and the two heads at work touched each other：
〃Let us begin by finding names。 When one has the names； one finds the subject。〃
〃That is true。
Dictate。
I will write。〃
〃Monsieur Dorimon。〃
〃An independent gentleman？〃
〃Of course。〃
〃His daughter； Celestine。〃
〃tine。
What next？〃
〃Colonel Sainval。〃
〃Sainval is stale。
I should say Valsin。〃
Beside the vaudeville aspirants； another group； which was also taking advantage of the uproar to talk low； was discussing a duel。 An old fellow of thirty was counselling a young one of eighteen； and explaining to him what sort of an adversary he had to deal with。
〃The deuce！
Look out for yourself。
He is a fine swordsman。
His play is neat。
He has the attack； no wasted feints； wrist； dash； lightning； a just parade； mathematical parries； bigre！ and he is left…handed。〃
In the angle opposite Grantaire； Joly and Bahorel were playing dominoes； and talking of love。
〃You are in luck； that you are；〃 Joly was saying。
〃You have a mistress who is always laughing。〃
〃That is a fault of hers；〃 returned Bahorel。
〃One's mistress does wrong to laugh。
That encourages one to deceive her。
To see her gay removes your remorse； if you see her sad； your conscience pricks you。〃
〃Ingrate！ a woman who laughs is such a good thing！
And you never quarrel！〃
〃That is because of the treaty which we have made。
On forming our little Holy Alliance we assigned ourselves each our frontier； which we never cross。
What is situated on the side of winter belongs to Vaud； on the side of the wind to Gex。
Hence the peace。〃
〃Peace is happiness digesting。〃
〃And you； Jolllly； where do you stand in your entanglement with Mamselle you know whom I mean？〃
〃She sulks at me with cruel patience。〃
〃Yet you are a lover to soften the heart with gauntness。〃
〃Alas！〃
〃In your place； I would let her alone。〃
〃That is easy enough to say。〃
〃And to do。
Is not her name Musichetta？〃
〃Yes。
Ah！ my poor Bahorel； she is a superb girl； very literary； with tiny feet； little hands； she dresses well； and is white and dimpled； with the eyes of a fortune…teller。 I am wild over her。〃
〃My dear fellow； then in order to please her； you must be elegant； and produce effects with your knees。
Buy a good pair of trousers of double…milled cloth at Staub's。 That will assist。〃
〃At what price？〃 shouted Grantaire。
The third corner was delivered up to a poetical discussion。 Pagan mythology was giving battle to Christian mythology。 The question was about Olympus； whose part was taken by Jean Prouvaire； out of pure romanticism。
Jean Prouvaire was timid only in repose。
Once excited； he burst forth； a sort of mirth accentuated his enthusiasm； and he was at once both laughing and lyric。
〃Let us not insult the gods；〃 said he。
〃The gods may not have taken their departure。
Jupiter does not impress me as dead。 The gods are dreams； you say。
Well； even in nature； such as it is to…day； after the flight of these dreams； we still find all the grand old pagan myths。
Such and such a mountain with the profile of a citadel； like the Vignemale； for example； is still to me the headdress of Cybele； it has not been proved to me that Pan does not e at night to breathe into the hollow trunks of the willows； stopping up the holes in turn with his fingers； and I have always believed that Io had something to do with the cascade of Pissevache。〃
In the last corner； they were talking politics。
The Charter which had been granted was getting roughly handled。
beferre was upholding it weakly。
Courfeyrac was energetically making a breach in it。 On the table lay an unfortunate copy of the famous Touquet Charter。 Courfeyrac had seized it； and was brandishing it； mingling with his arguments the rattling of this sheet of paper。
〃In the first place； I won't have any kings； if it were only from an economical point of view； I don't want any； a king is a parasite。
One does not have kings gratis。
Listen to this： the dearness of kings。
At the death of Francois I。； the national debt of France amounted to an ine of thirty thousand livres； at the death of Louis XIV。
it was two milliards； six hundred millions； at twenty…eight livres the mark； which was equivalent in 1760； according to Desmarets； to four milliards； five hundred millions； which would to…day be equivalent to twelve milliards。
In the second place； and no offence to beferre； a charter granted is but a poor expedient of civilization。
To save the transition； to soften the passage； to deaden the shock； to cause the nation to pass insensibly from the monarchy to democracy by the practice of constitutional fictions；what detestable reasons all those are！ No！ no