THE SONG OUT OF SEASON. "Point de culte sans mystère." SCENE.-A Corridor in a Château, with Busts and Venice chandeliers. MONSIEUR L'ÉTOILE. TWO VOICES. M. L'ÉTOILE (carrying a Rose). HIS is the place. MUTINE said here. THI "Through the Mancini room, and near The fifth Venetian chandelier. The fifth ?-She knew there were but four ; Still, here's the busto of the Moor. (Humming.) Tra-la, tra-la! If BIJOU wake, She'll bark, no doubt, and spoil my shake! I'll tap, I think. One can't mistake; This surely is the door. (Sings softly.) "When Jove, the Skies' Director, First saw you sleep of yore, He cried aloud for Nectar, "The Nectar quickly pour,- (No sound. I'll tap once more.) "And urchin Cupid after O Venus, witch the World!"" (Now comes the last. 'Tis scarcely worse, I think, than Monsieur l'ABBÉ's verse.) "So waken, waken, waken, O You, whom we adore! (That merits an encore!) "So waken, waken, waken! O YOU whom we adore!" (An energetic VOICE.) 'Tis thou, ANTOINE? Ah, Addle-pate! A thousand times! (Great agitation.) But wait,—but wait,— M. L'ÉTOILE (stupefied). Just Skies! What hideous roar !— What lungs! The infamous Soubrette! This is a turn I sha'nt forget: To make me sing my chansonnette (Retiring slowly.) And yet, and yet,-it can't be she. (A second VOICE.) IT WAS THE ABBÉ TI-RI-LI! (In a mocking falsetto.) "Where Gods can be mistaken, Mere Poets must be more, BAD POETS must be more." THE CAP THAT FITS. "Qui sème épines n'aille déchaux." SCENE. A Salon with blue and white Panels. Outside, Persons pass and re-pass upon a Terrace. HORTENSE. ARMANDE. MONSIEUR LOYAL. Nay, I defer to you. In truth, To me she seems all grace and youth. HORTENSE. Graceful? You think it? What, with hands ARMANDE. And how she stands |