tone) She was lovely!

BEN. (half drunk, suddenly) Ah! very.

SCH. Old rascal!

RUD. Old rascal!

COL. Vile seducer!

SCH. Old rascal!

MAR. He's an oak tree. He's a cannon.

RUD. He has good taste, then?

BEN. (laughing) Ha, ha!

MAR. Her hair was curly auburn.

COL. Old knave!

MAR. With ardent speed leaped he joyous to her embraces.

BEN. (with increasing exultation) Old am I, but robust yet.

RUD., SCH. and COL. Ardent with joy he sprang to her embraces.

MAR. To him she yields her woman's love and truth.

BEN. (in a very confidential tone)
Bashful was I in youth,
Now somewhat am I altered.
Well, what I like myself …
Must know that my one delight …
Is a merry damsel,—and small,
I do not ask a whale, nor a world-map to study,
Nor, like a full moon,
A face round and ruddy;
But leanness, downright leanness, No! No!
Lean women's claws oftentimes are scratchy,
Their temper somewhat catchy,
Full of aches, too, and mourning,
As my wife is my warning.

(MARCEL bangs his fist down on the table and rises; the others follow his example, BENOIT looking on in bewilderment.)

MAR. A wife possessing!
Yet thoughts impure confessing.

SCH. and COL. Foul shame!

RUD. His vile pollution empoisons our honest abode.

SCH. and COL. Hence!

MAR. With perfume we must fumigate!

COL. Drive him forth, the reprobate!

SCH. Morality offended hence expels you!

(BENOIT staggeringly rises, and tries in vain to speak.)

BEN. But say—I say!

MAR. Be silent!

COL. Be silent!

RUD. Be silent!

(They surround BENOIT and gradually push him to the door.)

BEN. Sirs, I beg you!

MAR., SCH. and COL. Be silent, out, your lordship! Hence away!

RUD., MAR., SCH. and COL. Wish we your lordship a pleasant Christmas
Eve. Ah!

(They push BENOIT outside the door.)

MAR. (locking the door) I have paid the last quarter!

SCH. In the Quartier Latin
Momus awaits!

MAR. Long live the spender!

SCH. We'll the booty divide!

RUD. We'll divide!

COL. We'll divide! (they divide the money on the table)

MAR. (holding out a cracked mirror to COLLINE)
Beauty is a gift heaven descended,
Now you are rich, to decency pay tribute.
Bear! have your mane attended!

COL. The first chance I can find,
I will make acquaintance with a beard eraser!
So guide me to the monstrous outrage of a barber's weapon.
Let's go!

SCH. We go!

MAR. and COL. We go!

RUD. I stay here, finish I must the article for my new journal,
"Beaver"!

MAR. Be quick then!

RUD. Five minutes only, I know well the work!

COL. We'll await you at the porter's lodge!

MAR. Delay, and you'll hear the chorus!

RUD. Five minutes only!

SCH. You must cut short the Beaver's growing tale!

(RUDOLPH takes a light from the table and goes to open the door: the others go out and descend the staircase.)

MAR. (from without) Look to the staircase! keep well to the handrail!

RUD. (on the landing near the open door holding up the candle) Go slowly!

COL. How plaguing dark 'tis!

SCH. May the porter be damned!

(The noise of someone falling is heard.)

COL. I have tumbled!

RUD. Colline, are you dead yet?

COL. (from the bottom of the staircase) Not this time!

MAR. Come quickly!

(RUDOLPH shuts the door, puts down the light, clears a space at the table for pens and paper, then sits down and commences to write, after putting out the other candle.)

RUD. I'm out of humor! (A timid knock is heard at the door.) Who's there?

MIMI. (from without) Pardon!

RUD. 'Tis a lady!

MIMI. Excuse me, my candle's gone out!

RUD. (running to open the door) Is it?

MIMI. (standing on the threshold with an extinguished candle and a
key)
Pray, would you—

RUD. Pray be seated a moment.

MIMI. No, I thank you.

RUD. I beg you enter.

(MIMI enters, but is seized with a fit of coughing.)

RUD. Are you not well?

MIMI. No! Nothing!

RUD. You are quite pale!

MIMI. (coughing) My breath—'tis the staircase—

(Swoons, and RUDOLPH has hardly time to support her and place her on a chair. She lets fall her candlestick and key.)

RUD. What can I do to aid her?

(Fetches some water, and sprinkles her face.)

Ah! this! How very pale her face is! (Mimi revives) Do you feel better?

MIMI. Yes.

RUD. Here 'tis very chilly.
Nearer the fire be seated an instant.
(conducting her to a chair near the tire)
A little wine?

MIMI. Thank you.

RUD. (giving her a glass and pouring out some wine) For you.

MIMI. Not so much, please!

RUD. Like this?

MIMI. Thank you. (she drinks)

RUD. How lovely a maiden.

MIMI. Now please allow me to light my candle, I'm feeling much better.

RUD. What, so quickly?

(RUDOLPH lights the candle and gives it to MIMI.)

MIMI. Thank you. Now, good evening.

RUD. So, good evening.

(Accompanies her to the door, and then returns quickly to his work.)

MIMI. (re-entering, stops on the threshold)
Oh! how stupid! How stupid!
The key of my poor chamber,
Where can I have left it?

RUD. Come, stand not in the doorway:
Your candle is flickering in the wind.

(Mimi's light goes out.)

MIMI. Good gracious! Please light it just once more!

(RUDOLPH runs with his candle, but, as he nears the door, his light, too, is blown out, and the room remains in darkness.)

RUD. Oh, dear! Now there's mine gone out, too!

MIMI. Ah! and the key—where can it be?

(Groping about, she reaches the table and deposits the candlestick.)

RUD. What a nuisance! (He finds himself near the door and fastens it.)

MIMI. I'm so sorry.

RUD. Where can it be?

MIMI. You have an importunate neighbor,
Pray, forgive your tiresome little neighbor.

RUD. Nothing, I assure you.

MIMI. Pray, forgive your tiresome neighbor.

RUD. Do not mention it, I pray you.

MIMI. Look for it.

RUD. I'm looking.