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"You see," said he, "it is la petite Marie's fête; and the party's in her honor; and they'd be so proud if we both went to it; and and, upon my soul, I'm awfully fond of that little girl".... "Of Marie Marotte?" He nodded. "You are not serious," I said. "I am as serious," he replied, "as a dancing dervish." And then, for I suppose I looked incredulous, he went on to justify himself.
Let me tell you something: the deepest spot in the Atlantic Ocean is a trifle over five miles deep and I suppose you know that this place lies only about a quarter of a mile off this headland. The British exploring vessel, Gull, Captain Marotte, discovered and sounded it, I believe.
The powers below only know how many hours we were on the road; for we all fell asleep, driver included, and never woke till we found ourselves at the Barrière de l'Étoile at the dawn of day." "Then what have you done with Madame Marotte and Mademoiselle Marie?" "Deposited them at their own door in the Rue du Faubourg St. Denis, as was the bounden duty of a preux chevalier.
How often this is so with the visions of domesticity the detailed picture of what our home will be like; or, of life among our fellow-citizens or in society; or, again, of living in the country the kind of house we shall have, its surroundings, the marks of honor and respect that will be paid to us, and so on, whatever our hobby may be; chaque fou a sa marotte.
He did not try to finish his coffee, and sat crumbling a roll, unconscious of the sympathetic glances of Madame Marotte, who had tact enough not to bother him. Presently a maid entered with a tray on which were balanced two bowls of chocolate, and the snuffy old gentlemen leered at her ankles. The maid deposited the chocolate at a table near the window and smiled at Hastings.
And now, the stage being cleared, the audience placed, and Monsieur Dorinet provided with a volume of Corneille, Mademoiselle Honoria proceeded to drape herself in an old red shawl belonging to Madame Marotte. The scene selected is the fifth of the fourth act of Horace, where Camille, meeting her only surviving brother, upbraids him with the death of Curiace.
"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 Müller, with a malicious twinkle about his eyes. "Pray observe the next lines, Messieurs et Mesdames, and follow my lead as before:
Madame Marotte, very deaf and fussy, in a cap with white ribbons, came forward to receive us. Mademoiselle Marie, sitting between two other young women of her own age, hung her head, and took no notice of our arrival. The rest of the party consisted of a gentleman and two old ladies.
"Valentine," thought Hastings, "what a quaint name;" and he started to follow the Reverend Joel Byram, who was shuffling towards the nearest tramway station. "An' you are pleas wiz Paris, Monsieur' Astang?" demanded Madame Marotte the next morning as Hastings came into the breakfast-room of the pension, rosy from his plunge in the limited bath above.
"We hope we have another bachelor by-and-by," said Madame Marotte, addressing herself to the young ladies, who looked down and giggled. "A charming man, mesdemoiselles, and quite the gentleman our locataire, M'sieur Lenoir. You know him, M'sieur Dorinet pray tell these demoiselles what a charming man M'sieur Lenoir is!"
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