" said Bixiou.

Hearing that word, Marius gave two or three strokes of the comb to the
ordinary head and flung himself upon Gazonal, taking Regulus by the arm
at the instant that the pupil was about to begin the operation of the
little scissors.

"I will take charge of monsieur. Look, monsieur," he said to the grocer,
"reflect yourself in the great mirror--if the mirror permits. Ossian!"

A lacquey entered, and took hold of the client to dress him.

"You pay at the desk, monsieur," said Marius to the stupefied grocer,
who was pulling out his purse.

"Is there any use, my dear fellow," said Bixiou, "in going through this
operation of the little scissors?"

"No head ever comes to me uncleansed," replied the illustrious
hair-dresser; "but for your sake, I will do that of monsieur myself,
wholly. My pupils sketch out the scheme, or my strength would not hold
out. Every one says as you do: 'Dressed by Marius!' Therefore, I can
give only the finishing strokes. What journal is monsieur on?"

"If I were you, I should keep three or four Mariuses," said Gazonal.

"Ah! monsieur, I see, is a feuilletonist," said Marius. "Alas! in
dressing heads which expose us to notice it is impossible. Excuse me!"

He left Gazonal to overlook Regulus, who was "preparing" a newly arrived
head. Tapping his tongue against his palate, he made a disapproving
noise, which may perhaps be written down as "titt, titt, titt."

"There, there! good heavens! that cut is not square; your scissors are
hacking it. Here! see there! Regulus, you are not clipping poodles;
these are men--who have a character; if you continue to look at the
ceiling instead of looking only between the glass and the head, you will
dishonor my house."

"You are stern, Monsieur Marius."

"I owe them the secrets of my art."

"Then it is an art?" said Gazonal.

Marius, affronted, looked at Gazonal in the glass, and stopped short,
the scissors in one hand, the comb in the other.

"Monsieur, you speak like a--child! and yet, from your accent, I judge
you are from the South, the birthplace of men of genius."

"Yes, I know that hair-dressing requires some taste," replied Gazonal.

"Hush, monsieur, hush! I expected better things of YOU. Let me tell you
that a hair-dresser,--I don't say a good hair-dresser, for a man is, or
he is not, a hair-dresser,--a hair-dresser, I repeat, is more
difficult to find than--what shall I say? than--I don't know what--a
minister?--(Sit still!)