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,- Eh! what? (Reads.) THE METAMORPHOSIS The Shepherdess Dorine adored L'ÉTOILE,—by all the Muses! Peste! He's off, post-haste, to tell the rest. 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. THIS "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, He'll bark, no doubt, and spoil my shake! 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.) (Sings again.) "Then came the Sire Apollo, (Coquette! She heard before.) (Sings again.) "And urchin Cupid after (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! (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 !— (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, 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. HORTENSE (behind her fan). NOT young, I think. ARMANDE (raising her eye-glass). And faded, too! Quite faded! Monsieur, what say you? M. LOYAL. Nay, I defer to you. In truth, |