e that I

had known him for years and years. In his turn he asked me:

" Tell me, are you intimate with papa? " " Your father! " I cried, pretending to be scan- dalized. " Oh! Monsieur Xavier! Such a holy man! "

His laugh redoubled, and rang out loudly: ' ' Papa I Oh ! papa ! Why, he is intimate with all the servants here. Then you are not yet intimate with papa? You astonish me."

"Oh! no," I replied, laughing also. " Only he brings me the 'Fin de Siecle,' the 'Rigolo,' the ' Petites Femmes de Paris '. "

That set him off in a delirium of joy, and, shaking more than ever with laughter, he cried : " Papa! Oh! he is astonishing! " And, being now well started, he continued in a comical tone:

' ' He is like mamma. Yesterday she made me another scene. I am disgracing her, — her and papa. Would you believe it? And religion, and society, and everything! It is twisting. Then I declared to her : ' My dear little mother, it is agreed; I will settle down to a regular life on the day when you shall have given up your lovers.' That was a hot one, eh? That shut her up. Oh! no, you know, they make me very tired, these authors of my being. I have supped on their lectures. By the way, you know Fumeau, don't you? "