What the St. Denis thus politely called a smile, was in effect a very hearty laugh--which really and bonâ fide seemed to puzzle him, as to the feeling which gave rise to it. "I will tell you of what you all remind me at this moment," said he, reseating himself: "Did you ever see or read 'Le Médecin malgré Lui'?"
"Eh bien! ... do you remember a certain scene in which a certain good man enters a house whence have issued the cries of a woman grievously beaten by her husband?"
"Eh bien! ... and do you remember how it is that Martine, the beaten wife, receives the intercessor?--'Et je veux qu'il me batte, moi.' Voyez-vous, mesdames, I am that pitying individual--that kind-hearted M. Robert; and you--you are every one of you most perfect Martines."
"You are positively getting angry, Sir Champion," said one of the ladies: "and if that happens, we shall incontestably declare you vanquished."
"Nay, I am vanquished--I yield--I throw up the partie--I see clearly that I know nothing about the matter. What I conceived to be national barbarisms, you evidently cling to as national privileges. Allons! ... je me rends!"
"We have not given any judgment, however," said I. "But perhaps you are more tired than beaten?--you only want a little repose, and you will then be ready to start anew."
"Non! absolument non!--but I will willingly change sides, and tell you how greatly I admire England...."
The conversation then started off in another direction, and ceased not till the number of parties who passed us in making their exit roused us at length to the necessity of leaving our flowery retreat, and making ours also.
Chamber of Deputies.--Punishment of Journalists.--Institute for the Encouragement of Industry.--Men of Genius.
Of all the ladies in the world, the English, I believe, are the most anxious to enter a representative chamber. The reason for this is sufficiently obvious,--they are the only ones who are denied this privilege in their own country; though I believe that they are in general rather disposed to consider this exclusion as a compliment, inasmuch as it evidently manifests something like a fear that their conversation might be found sufficiently attractive to draw the Solons and Lycurguses from their duty.