his vibrant baton, watching her every
movement. She is over seventy now, and was once a premier danseuse at
the opera.

But you have not seen all of the Taverne du Pantheon yet. There is an
"American Bar" downstairs; at least, so the sign reads at the top of a
narrow stairway leading to a small, tavern-like room, with a sawdust
floor, heavy deal tables, and wooden stools. In front of the bar are
high stools that one climbs up on and has a lukewarm whisky soda, next
to Yvonne and Marcelle, who are both singing the latest catch of the day
at the top of their lungs, until they are howled at to keep still or are
lifted bodily off their high stools by the big fellow in the "type" hat,
who has just come in.

[Illustration: MOTHER AND DAUGHTER]

Before a long table at one end of the room is the crowd of American
students singing in a chorus. The table is full now, for many have come
from dinners at other cafes to join them. At one end, and acting as
interlocutor for this impromptu minstrel show, presides one of the
best fellows in the world. He rises solemnly, his genial round face
wreathed in a subtle smile, and announces that he will sing, by earnest
request, that popular ballad, "'Twas Summer and the Little Birds were
Singing in the Trees."

There are some especially fine "barber chords" in this popular ditty,
and the words are so touching that it is repeated over and over again.
Then it is sung softly like the farmhand quartettes do in the rural
melodrama outside the old homestead in harvest time. Oh! I tell you it's
a truly rural octette. Listen to that exhibition bass voice of Jimmy
Sands and that wandering tenor of Tommy Whiteing, and as the last chord
dies away (over the fields presumably) a shout goes up:

"How's that?"

"Out of sight," comes the general verdict from the crowd, and bang go a
dozen beer glasses in unison on the heavy table.

"Oh, que c'est beau!" cries Mimi, leading the successful chorus in a new
vocal number with Edmond's walking-stick; but this time it is a French
song and the whole room is singing it, including our old friend,
Monsieur Frank, the barkeeper, who is mixing one of his famous
concoctions which are never twice quite alike, but are better than if
they were.

The harmonic beauties of "'Twas Summer and the Little Birds were Singing
in the Trees" are still inexhausted, but it sadly needs a piano
accompaniment--with this it would be perfect; and so the whole crowd,
including Yvonn