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226 floor. Jean noticed this; got a chair; mounted on it, and by applying alternately his ear and his mouth to the end of the pipe created for himself a telephone, with the aid of which he carried on a conversation with The Wanderer (at that moment visiting his family on the floor below) to this effect:

—Jean, grasping the pipe and speaking angrily into it, being evidently nettled at the poor connection—"Heh-loh, hello, hello, hello"—surveying the pipe in consternation—"Merde. Ça marche pas"—trying again with a deep frown—"heh-LOH!"—tremendously agitated—"HEHLOH!"—a beautiful smile supplanting the frown—"hello Barbu. Are you there? Oui? Bon!"—evincing tremendous pleasure at having succeeded in establishing the connection satisfactorily—"Barbu? Are you listening to me? Oui? What's the matter Barbu? Comment? Moi? Oui, MOI? JEAN jaMAIS! jamais, jaMAIS, Barbu. I have never said you have fleas. C'était pas moi, tu sais. JaMAIS, c'était un autre. Peutêtre c'était Mexique"—turning his head in Mexique's direction and roaring with laughter—"Hello, HEH-LOH. Barbu? Tu sais, Barbu, j'ai jamais dit ça. Au contraire, Barbu. J'ai dit que vous avez des totos"—another roar of laughter—"What? It isn't'' true? Good. Then. What have you got, Barbu? Barbu? Lice—OHHHH. I understand. It's better"—shaking with laughter, then suddenly tremendously serious—"hellohellohellohello HEHLOH!"—addressing the stove-pipe—"C'est une mauvaise machine, ça"—speaking into it with the greatest distinctness—"HEL-L-LOH. Barbu? Liberté, Barbu. ''Oui. Comment? C'est ça. Liberté pour tou'l'monde. Quand? Après la soupe. Oui. Liberté pour tou'l'monde après la soupe!"—to which jest astonishingly reacted a certain old man known as the West Indian Negro (a stocky credulous creature with whom Jean would have nothing to do, and whose tales of Brooklyn were indeed outclassed by Jean's histoires d'amour) who leaped rheumatically from his paillasse at the word "Liberté" and rushed limpingly hither and thither inquiring Was it true? to the enormous and excruciating amusement of The Enormous Room in general.