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Rh grew excessively hungry. Now I thought of the collation, which doubtless they were just then devouring in the garden far below. (I had seen in the vestibule a basketful of small pâtés à la crêmecream pies [sic], than which nothing in the whole range of cookery seemed to me better). A pâtépie [sic], or a square of cake, it seemed to me would come very àpropos; and as my relish for those dainties increased, it began to appear somewhat hard that I should pass my holiday, fasting and in prison. Remote as was the attic from the street-door and vestibule, yet the ever-tinkling bell was faintly audible here; and also the ceaseless roll of wheels on the tormented pavement. I knew that the house and garden were thronged, and that all was gay and glad below; here it began to grow dusk: the beetles were fading from my sight; I trembled lest they should steal on me a march, mount my throne unseen, and, unsuspected, invade my skirts. Impatient and apprehensive, I recommenced the rehearsal of my part merely to kill time. Just as I was concluding, the long-delayed rattle of the key in the lock came to my ear—no unwelcome sound. M. Paul (I could just see through the dusk that it was M. Paul, for light enough still lingered to show the velvet blackness of his close-shorn head, and the sallow ivory of his brow) looked in.

"Brava!" cried he, holding the door open, and remaining at the threshold. "J'ai tout entendu. C'est assez bienI heard everything. It's pretty good [sic]. Encore!"

A moment I hesitated.

"Encore!" said he sternly. "Et point de grimaces! A bas la timidité!And no faces! Down shyness! [sic]"

Again I went through the part, but not half so well as I had spoken it alone.

"Enfin, elle saitFinally, she knows [sic]," said he, half dissatisfied, "and one cannot be fastidious or exacting under the circumstances". Then he added, "You may yet have twenty minutes for preparation: au revoir!goodbye! [sic]" And he was going.

"Monsieur", I called out, taking courage.

"Eh bien! Qu'est-ce que c'est, mademoiselle?Well!What is it, miss? [sic]"

"J'ai bien faimI am very hungry [sic]."

"Comment, vous avez faim! Et la collation?What, you're hungry! And collating? [sic]"

"I know nothing about it. I have not seen it, shut up here".

"Ah! C'est vraiAh! It's true [sic]", cried he.