Year: 1869

L cried to myself, i VIII look up ou


little sale tonight There's nobod


who will know me. And I've heart


the music so often that they ought t,
see the color of my money"


/ Near the entrance there was a mar


row lane,-about a stones throw of


| think l see it now, narrow, and 81


dark from the huge buildings tina
lined it. And in the lane that nigh
IL remember it so well-was pri


vate eabriolet, with a dark coloret
panel, and two servants in livery
waiting in leisurely way, as servants
wait who have waited long and hav,
Hong to wait. Then 1 paid my coin
and the enchant portal received me
I advanced up the fairy path, which
came to an abrupt termination at th'
first curve.


l emerged on a mere shed, uncov
cred and opening on bit of ground
the general effect being entirely sor
did, the sordid effect harmonizins
with all the aceompaniments. There
was some dancing going on, Of an ir-
regular and free-and-easy kind, {
few only indulging ia terpsichorear
vagaries, while many more, seated a
little or long tables, looked critically
on. Not a few men were in blouse
and some women in caps, genuine
ourriere class, which had been work
! ing hard all day, steadily looking for
ward to their evenings relaxation.
Then there were some very dressy
young men, with companions equally
ornamented. Cigars aud cigarettes
were freely going. Beer appeared to
be the popular beverage-the black
beer or the biere de Strasburg, or that
cheap fzzing beer of Paris which |
suppose a good restaurant would
hardly admit. Such as had Bordeaux,
or win ordinaire, were modifying it
with water and sugar. There were
also one or two cadaverous men, who
even at that hour were partaking of
the Internal absinthe. One young
man 1 especially noticed, who was
very quietly dressed, whose very su-
perior appearance seemed tacitly rec
ognized. He was smoking cigar
rette and slipping some maraschino.


Then the band played fine piece
of music, and played it finely, too
an overture to some little known
opera of Rossini's. Afterwards one
of the band went round collecting
coins in saucer-another evidence of
the lowly aims of the establishment.
1 gave largesse, remembering that
this was not the first of my obliga-
tions to the musicians. The maras-
chino man, whose offering was expect
ed with ill-repressed anxiety, dropped
in the delicate, glittering, slight five
franc gold piece. Presently func>
tionary announced that Mademoiselle
Rose would favor the company with
a song, and there was the heavy thud
or knock which in France so ungrace-
fully announces a new phase in an
entertainment.


When Mademoiselle came forward
1 gave start, for if ever Mademoi-
selle was equivalent to Miss, it was
so here. And when she began to
sing, though the pronunciation was
French, the accent was English. She
sang sweetly, but without much force,
as sentimental French song as such
an audience could be expected to
bear.


[ watched her face with much anx-
iety. It was a very pretty face, and,
to my pleased astonishment, it had an
expression of goodness and honesty
about it, on which l am afraid had
no right to count in such place and
amid such a company. Her dress
vas fastened up to her throat, close
fitting, and very neat and simple.
Her manner was altogether ladylike
not the imitation ladylike Of mauy
minor professional, but genuinely
and unaffeetedly so. confess l be-
gan to entertain very lively feeling
of interest for the young cantatrice.
1 thought L should be glad to make
her acquaintance. My motive was
entirely Platonic AID philanthrOpic.
[ belong to the uninteresting order of
Benedicts, and my notion was that [
should like my wife to make friends
with this young girl, who perhaps had
no English friends, and who was GER
tainly very unfavorabIy situated, and
save her from what l felt must be a
miasmatic moral atmosphere.


When she had finished singing, she
made her courtesy and took her seat
at little table near the buffet of the
saloon Itappeared, then, that she
was not likely to retire to a green
room-indeed, it was hard to see
where anything at all corresponding
to a green room might have a geo.
graphical position,-but, with an
opera cloak thrown over her shoul-
ders, continued an object OF public
admiration. I moved toward her
table, and relying on the integrity ef
my intentions, was about to make a
self introd uction to her. l was an
ticipate d, however, by the getlemeu
whom | noticed as the only gentle
man in the place, who finished his
maraschino, threw away his cigarette,
and came over and sat by her side.
She gave him a winning smile of well
eome-they were evidently no strang-
ers,-and entered into that close con-
versation that would evidently toler-
ate no intrusion. They were talking
French which she evidently under
stood quite we'll. l waited a little
longer, in the expectation that she
might slug again, but there were nc
signs that this was likely to happen
Then, as it drew towards midnight
1 left the place.


Bat somehow l did not care to turn
in even then l paced up aud down
the boulevard, smoking my cigar il
the balmy starlight night Severa
times 1 passed the entry of the jar
din. The people were coming out
and by and by they came out in Z
considerable number. Then l knew
the entertainment was come to close
! The carriage vas still standing at the
tentry of the dark, narrow lane, bu
the servants were manifestly getting
uLder way for departure. l wen
lleisurely along to the end of the ave
nue., and then turned once more, tax
ing the same path. The carriage hat
now emerged from the lane into tn