ity of each, brought about between them a concord of ideas--a
unity which they would not have found elsewhere. They had manners that
were their own, a tongue amongst themselves to which strangers would not
have been able to find the key. Those who did not know them very well
called their freedom of manner cynicism. It was however, only frankness.
With minds impatient of imposed control, they all hated what was false,
and despised what was low. Accused of exaggerated vanity, they replied
by proudly unfurling the program of their ambition, and, conscious of
their worth, held no false estimate of themselves.

During the number of years that they had followed the same life
together, though often placed in rivalry by the necessities of their
profession, they had never let go one another's hands, and had passed
without heeding them over personal questions of self-esteem whenever an
attempt had been made to raise these between them in order to disunite
them. Besides, they each esteemed one another at their right worth, and
pride, which is the counter poison of envy, preserved them from all
petty professional jealousy.

However, after six months of life in common, an epidemic of divorce
suddenly seized on the various households.

Schaunard opened the ball. One day he perceived that Phemie Teinturiere
had one knee better shaped than the other, and as his was an austere
purism as regards plastics, he sent Phemie about her business, giving
her as a souvenir the cane with which he had addressed such frequent
remarks to her. Then he went back to live with a relative who offered
him free quarters.

A fortnight later Mimi left Rodolphe to step into the carriage of the
young Vicomte Paul, the ex-pupil of Carolus Barbemuche, who had promised
her dresses to her heart's desire.

After Mimi it was Musette who went off, and returned with a grand
flourish of trumpets amongst the aristocracy of the world of gallantry
which she had left to follow Marcel.

This separation took place without quarrel, shock or premeditation. Born
of a fancy that had become love, this union was broken off by another
fancy.

One evening during the carnival, at the masked ball at the Opera,
whither she had gone with Marcel, Mimi, Musette had for her _vis-a-vis_
in a quadrille a young man who had formerly courted her. They recognized
one another, and, whilst dancing exchanged a few words.
Unintentionally, perhaps, whilst informing the young man of her present