eart, and yet she did not
do it. On the contrary, she aggravated matters. Every one knows the
fable of "The Two Pigeons" which Adrienne recites at the soiree of the
Princesse de Bouillon. Now, it so happened that the great barrister and
orator, Berryer, was considered a most charming reciter of that kind of
verse. Berryer, a most simple-minded man, took special delight in
sharing the most innocent games of young children. He was especially
fond of the game of "forfeits"; and so great was his fame as a diseur,
that the penalty generally imposed upon him was the reciting of a fable.
But great diseur as he was, he himself acknowledged that Samson could
have given him a lesson.

At every new part she undertook, Rachel was in the habit of consulting
with her former tutor; this time she went to consult Berryer instead,
and, what was worse, took pains that every one should hear of it. "Then
my heart smote me," she said afterwards, when by one of those
irresistible tricks of hers she had obtained her tutor's pardon once
more. It was as deliberate a falsehood as she ever uttered in her life,
which in Rachel's case means a good deal. The fact was, the affair, as I
have already said, had been bruited about, mainly by herself at first;
the public showed a disposition to take Samson's part, and she felt
afraid of a "warm reception" on the first night.

Under these circumstances she had recourse to one of her wiles, which,
for being theatrical, was not less effective. At the first rehearsal,
when Adrienne has to turn to Michonnet, saying, "This is my true friend,
to whom I owe everything," she turned, not to Regnier, who played
Michonnet, and to whom the words are addressed, but to Samson, at the
same time holding out her hand to him. Samson, who, notwithstanding all
their disagreements, very felt proud of his great pupil, who was,
moreover, of a very affectionate disposition, notwithstanding his
habitual reserve, fell into the trap. He took her proffered hand; then
she flung herself into his arms, and the estrangement was at an end,
for the time being. Rachel took great care to make the reconciliation as
public as possible.

I was never very intimate with Samson, but the little I knew of him I
liked. I repeat, he was essentially an honourable and honest man, and
very tolerant with regard to the foibles of the fair sex. There was need
for such tolerance in those days. Augustine Brohan, Sylvanie Plessy,
Rachel, and half a dozen oth