ve all, the articles
connected with the toilette to which Mademoiselle Mimi was attached by
all the fibers of a coquetry that had of late become insatiable.

Mademoiselle Mimi called in course of the next day to take away her
things. Rodolphe was at home and alone. It needed all his powers of self
esteem to keep him from throwing himself upon his mistress's neck. He
gave her a reception full of silent insult, and Mademoiselle Mimi
replied by those cold and keen scoffs that drive the weakest and most
timid to show their teeth. In face of the contempt with which his
mistress flagellated him with insolent hardihood, Rodolphe's anger broke
out fearfully and brutally. For a moment Mimi, white with terror, asked
herself whether she would escape from his hands alive. At the cries she
uttered some neighbors rushed in and dragged her out of Rodolphe's room.

Two days later a female friend of Mimi came to ask Rodolphe whether he
would give up the things he had kept.

"No," he replied.

And he got his mistress's messenger to talk about her. She informed him
that Mimi was in a very unfortunate condition, and that she would soon
find herself without a lodging.

"And the lover of whom she is so fond?"

"Oh!" replied Amelie, the friend in question, "the young fellow has no
intention of taking her for his mistress. He has been keeping another
for a long time past, and he does not seem to trouble much about Mimi,
who is living at my expense, which causes me a great deal of
embarrassment."

"Let her do as she can," said Rodolphe. "She would have it,--it is no
affair of mine."

And he began to sing madrigals to Mademoiselle Amelie, and persuaded her
that she was the prettiest woman in the world.

Amelie informed Mimi of her interview with Rodolphe.

"What did he say? What is he doing? Did he speak to you about me?" asked
Mimi.

"Not at all; you are already forgotten, my dear. Rodolphe has a fresh
mistress, and he has bought her a superb outfit, for he has received a
great deal of money, and is himself dressed like a prince. He is a very
amiable fellow, and said a lot of nice things to me."

"I know what all that means," thought Mimi.

Every day Mademoiselle Amelie called to see Rodolphe on some pretext or
other, and however much the latter tried he could not help speaking of
Mimi to her.

"She is very lively," replied her friend, "and does not seem to trouble
herself about her position. Besides she declares that she will