"But they hit the right mark!" said Otto; "they met with a reception from the citizens and people in office."
"That I can easily believe," remarked Joachim; "that is like the people here!"
"That is like the people abroad!" said the hostess. "In Paris they pass over still more easily from a revolution, in which they themselves have taken part, to a review by Jules Janin, or to a new step of Taglioni's, and from that to 'une histoire scandaleuse!'"
"No, my gracious lady, of the last no one takes any notice--it belongs to the order of the day!"
"That I can easily believe!" said Miss Sophie.
The man of business now inquired after the Chamber. The cousin's answer was quite satisfactory. The lady of the house wished to hear of the flower-markets, and of the sweet little inclosed gardens in the Places. Sophie wished to hear of Victor Hugo. She received a description of him, of his abode in the Place Royale, and of the whole Europe littéraire beside. Cousin Joachim was extremely interesting.
Otto did not pay another visit for two days.
"Where have you been for so long?" asked Sophie, when he came again.
"With my books!" replied he: there lay a gloomy expression in his eyes.
"O, you should have come half an hour earlier--our cousin was here! He was describing to me the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. O, quite excellently!"
"He is an interesting young man!" said Otto.
"The glorious garden!" pursued Sophie, without remarking the emphasis with which Otto had replied. "Do you not remember, Mr. Thostrup, how Barthélemi has spoken of it? 'Où tout homme, qui rêve à son pays absent, Retrouve ses parfums et son air caressant.' In it there is a whole avenue with cages, in which are wild beasts,--lions and tigers! In small court-yards, elephants and buffaloes wander about at liberty! Giraffes nibble the branches of high trees! In the middle of the garden are the courts for bears, only there is a sort of well in which the bears walk about; it is surrounded by no palisades, and you stand upon the precipitous edge! There our cousin stood!"
"But he did not precipitate himself down!" said Otto, with indifference.
"What is the matter?" asked Sophie. "Are you in your elegiac mood? You look as I imagine Victor Hugo when he has not made up his mind about the management of his tragic catastrophe!"