sugar question. It knew all the actress's repertory by heart, and
declaimed it well enough to have been her substitute, in case of
indisposition. Moreover, as she was rather polyglot in her flirtations,
and received visitors from all parts of the world, the parrot spoke all
languages, and would sometimes let out a _lingua Franca_ of oaths
enough to shock the sailors to whom "Vert-Vert" owed his profitable
education. The company of this bird, which might be instructive and
amusing for ten minutes, became a positive torture when prolonged. The
neighbors had often complained; the actress insolently disregarded their
complaints. Two or three other tenants of the house, respectable fathers
of families, indignant at the scandalous state of morals into which they
were initiated by the indiscretions of the parrot, had given warning to
the landlord. But the actress had got on his weak side; whoever might
go, she stayed.

The Englishman whose sitting room Schaunard now entered, had suffered
with patience for three months. One day he concealed his fury, which
was ready to explode, under a full dress suit and sent in his card to
Mademoiselle Dolores.

When she beheld him enter, arrayed almost as he would have been to
present himself before Queen Victoria, she at first thought it must be
Hoffmann, in his part of Lord Spleen; and wishing to be civil to a
fellow artist, she offered him some breakfast.

The Englishman understood French. He had learned it in twenty five
lessons from a Spanish refugee. Accordingly he replied:

"I accept your invitation on condition of our eating this disagreeable
bird," and he pointed to the cage of the parrot, who, having smelled an
Englishman, saluted him by whistling "God Save the King."

Dolores thought her neighbor was quizzing her, and was beginning to get
angry, when Mr. Birne added:

"As I am very rich, I will buy the animal. Put your price on it."

Dolores answered that she valued the bird, and liked it, and would not
wish to see it pass into the hands of another.

"Oh, it's not in my hands I want to put it," replied the Englishman,
"But under my feet--so--," and he pointed to the heels of his boots.

Dolores shuddered with indignation and would probably have broken out,
when she perceived on the Englishman's finger a ring, the diamond of
which represented an income of twenty five hundred francs. The discovery
was like a shower bath to her rage. She reflected that it might be
impruden