exclaimed: "do you know, when rehearsals
began--ask Charlot if this isn't true--the piece simply didn't exist!"

"Simply didn't exist!" Charlot corroborated him, like an echo.

"Didn't exist," Valgrand repeated: "not even my part. It was
insignificant, flat! So I took the author aside and I said: 'Frantz, my
boy, I'll tell you what you must do: you know the lawyer's speech?
Absurd! What am I to do while he is delivering it? I'll make the speech
for my own defence, and I'll get something out of it!' And the prison
scene! Just fancy, he had shoved a parson into that! I said to Frantz:
'Cut the parson out, my boy: what the dickens am I to do while he is
preaching? Simply nothing at all: it's absurd. Give his speech to me!
I'll preach to myself!' And there you are: I don't want to boast, but
really I did it all! And it was a success, eh?"

Again the chorus broke out, to be stopped by Valgrand, who was
contemplating his reflection in a mirror.

"And my make-up, Colonel? Do you know the story of my make-up? I hear
they were talking about it all over the house. Am I like Gurn? What do
you think? You saw him quite close at the trial, Comte: what do you
think?"

"The resemblance is perfectly amazing," said the Comte de Baral with
perfect truth.

The actor stroked his face mechanically: a new idea struck him.

"My beard is a real one," he exclaimed. "I let it grow on purpose. I
hardly had to make myself up at all; I am the same build, the same type,
same profile; it was ridiculously easy!"

"Give me a lock of hair from your beard for a locket," said the Baronne
de Vibray impudently.

Valgrand looked at her, and heaved a profound sigh.

"Not yet, not yet, dear lady: I am infinitely sorry, but not yet: a
little later on, perhaps; wait for the hundredth performance."

"I must have one too," said Simone Holbord, and Valgrand with great
dignity replied:

"I will put your name down for one, madame!"

* * * * *

But the Comte de Baral had looked furtively at his watch, and uttered an
exclamation of surprise.

"My good people, it is most horribly late! And our great artiste must be
overcome with sleep!"

Forthwith they all prepared to depart, in spite of the actor's courteous
protests that he could not hear of letting them go so soon. They
lingered at the door for a few minutes in eager, animated conversation,
shaking hands and exchanging farewells and thanks and congratulations.
Then