THE BARON. If, in return, Countess, I could your hand but earn ! THE COUNTESS. I thought as much. This comes, you see, Where vows are hung on every tree. THE BARON (offering his arm, with a low bow). And no one dreams-of PERFIDY. THE METAMORPHOSIS. "On s'enrichit quand on dort." SCENE.-A high stone Seat in an Alley of clipped Lime-trees. THE ABBÉ TIRILI. MONSIEUR L'ÉTOILE. THE ABBÉ (writing). HIS shepherdess Dorine adored—” "TH What rhyme is next? Implored?-ignored? Poured?-soared?-afford? That facile Dunce, L'ÉTOILE, would cap the line at once. 'Twill come in time. Meanwhile, suppose We take a meditative doze. (Sleeps. By-and-by his paper falls.) M. L'ÉTOILE (approaching from the back). Some one before me. What! 'tis you, Monsieur the Scholar? Sleeping too! (Picks up the fluttering paper.) More "Tales," of course. One can't refuse To chase so fugitive a Muse! Verses are public, too, that fly "CLITANDER AND DORINE." Insane! He fancies he's a LA FONTAINE ! (Three names for one. This passes all. 'Tis "furiously" classical!) "No doubt their Purpose oft would be Some Nodus dignus Vindice'; 'On dit,' not less, these earthly Tours Impeded that Olympic Game; O shade of NICHOLAS BOILEAU !) 66 Bird, Beast, or River he became: 'Suffices that, for this our Tale, There dwelt in a Thessalian Vale, Of Tales like this the frequent Scene, Trim Waist, ripe Lips, bright Eyes, had she ;— Her Beauty made some local Stir ;- Implored, ignored, and soared, and poured— (He's scrawled them here!) His fable on his second leaf. (Writes.) We'll sum in brief There, they shall know who 'twas that wrote:"L'ÉTOILE's is but a mock-bird's note." THE ABBÉ (waking). [Exit. Implored's the word, I think. But where, Where is my paper? Ah! 'tis there! Eh! what? (Reads.) THE METAMORPHOSIS. (not in Ovid.) "The Shepherdess Dorine adored |