And you are going to have your boxes. Here is the
subscription for the first quarter," she continued, holding out a
couple of banknotes; "so don't cut me up!"
"It is all over with me!" groaned Finot; "I must suppress my
abominable diatribe, and I haven't another notion in my head."
"What a happy inspiration, divine Lais!" exclaimed Blondet, who had
followed the lady upstairs and brought Nathan, Vernou and Claude
Vignon with him. "Stop to supper, there is a dear, or I will crush
thee, butterfly as thou art. There will be no professional jealousies,
as you are a dancer; and as to beauty, you have all of you too much
sense to show jealousy in public."
"Oh dear!" cried Finot, "Nathan, Blondet, du Bruel, help friends! I
want five columns."
"I can make two of the play," said Lucien.
"I have enough for one," added Lousteau.
"Very well; Nathan, Vernou, and du Bruel will make the jokes at the
end; and Blondet, good fellow, surely will vouchsafe a couple of short
columns for the first sheet. I will run round to the printer. It is
lucky that you brought your carriage, Tullia."
"Yes, but the Duke is waiting below in it, and he has a German
Minister with him."
"Ask the Duke and the Minister to come up," said Nathan.
"A German? They are the ones to drink, and they listen too; he shall
hear some astonishing things to send home to his Government," cried
Blondet.
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