t suddenly he sat bolt upright.

"It's idiotic, my boy," he announced quietly to Fauchery.

"What d'you mean, idiotic?" cried the author, growing very pale. "It's
you that are the idiot, my dear boy!"

Bordenave began to get angry at once. He repeated the word "idiotic"
and, seeking a more forcible expression, hit upon "imbecile" and "damned
foolish." The public would hiss, and the act would never be finished!
And when Fauchery, without, indeed, being very deeply wounded by these
big phrases, which always recurred when a new piece was being put on,
grew savage and called the other a brute, Bordenave went beyond all
bounds, brandished his cane in the air, snorted like a bull and shouted:

"Good God! Why the hell can't you shut up? We've lost a quarter of an
hour over this folly. Yes, folly! There's no sense in it. And it's so
simple, after all's said and done! You, Fontan, mustn't move. You, Rose,
must make your little movement, just that, no more; d'ye see? And then
you come down. Now then, let's get it done this journey. Give the kiss,
Cossard."

Then ensued confusion. The scene went no better than before. Bordenave,
in his turn, showed them how to act it about as gracefully as an
elephant might have done, while Fauchery sneered and shrugged pityingly.
After that Fontan put his word in, and even Bosc made so bold as to give
advice. Rose, thoroughly tired out, had ended by sitting down on the
chair which indicated the door. No one knew where they had got to, and
by way of finish to it all Simonne made a premature entry, under
the impression that her cue had been given her, and arrived amid the
confusion. This so enraged Bordenave that he whirled his stick round in
a terrific manner and caught her a sounding thwack to the rearward. At
rehearsal he used frequently to drub his former mistress. Simonne ran
away, and this furious outcry followed her:

"Take that, and, by God, if I'm annoyed again I shut the whole shop up
at once!"

Fauchery pushed his hat down over his forehead and pretended to be going
to leave the theater. But he stopped at the top of the stage and came
down again when he saw Bordenave perspiringly resuming his seat. Then
he, too, took up his old position in the other armchair. For some
seconds they sat motionless side by side while oppressive silence
reigned in the shadowy house. The actors waited for nearly two minutes.
They were all heavy with exhaustion and felt as though they had
performed an