certainly I do--always provided that you do so judiciously.
Times have changed since Moliere." It was as a consequence of this that
Binet retired soon after, taking Andre-Louis with him. The pair sat
together late that night, and were again in close communion throughout
the whole of Sunday morning.

After dinner M. Binet read to the assembled company the amended and
amplified canevas of "The Heartless Father," which, acting upon the
advice of M. Parvissimus, he had been at great pains to prepare. The
company had few doubts as to the real authorship before he began to
read; none at all when he had read. There was a verve, a grip about this
story; and, what was more, those of them who knew their Moliere realized
that far from approaching the original more closely, this canevas had
drawn farther away from it. Moliere's original part--the title role--had
dwindled into insignificance, to the great disgust of Polichinelle, to
whom it fell. But the other parts had all been built up into importance,
with the exception of Leandre, who remained as before. The two
great roles were now Scaramouche, in the character of the intriguing
Sbrigandini, and Pantaloon the father. There was, too, a comical part
for Rhodomont, as the roaring bully hired by Polichinelle to cut Leandre
into ribbons. And in view of the importance now of Scaramouche, the play
had been rechristened "Figaro-Scaramouche."

This last had not been without a deal of opposition from M. Binet. But
his relentless collaborator, who was in reality the real author--drawing
shamelessly, but practically at last upon his great store of reading--had
overborne him.

"You must move with the times, monsieur. In Paris Beaumarchais is the
rage. 'Figaro' is known to-day throughout the world. Let us borrow a
little of his glory. It will draw the people in. They will come to
see half a 'Figaro' when they will not come to see a dozen 'Heartless
Fathers.' Therefore let us cast the mantle of Figaro upon some one, and
proclaim it in our title."

"But as I am the head of the company..." began M. Binet, weakly.

"If you will be blind to your interests, you will presently be a head
without a body. And what use is that? Can the shoulders of Pantaloon
carry the mantle of Figaro? You laugh. Of course you laugh. The notion
is absurd. The proper person for the mantle of Figaro is Scaramouche,
who is naturally Figaro's twin-brother."

Thus tyrannized, the tyrant Binet gave way, comforted by t