Page:The Bohemians of the Latin Quarter.djvu/206

has said that this Carolus, with the view of dishonoring us, wished to introduce himself under the cloak of literature.”

“A Parliamentary figure.”

“A very bad figure; literature has no cloak!”

“Having made a report, as chairman of committee,” resumed Colline, rising, “I maintain the conclusions therein embodied. The jealousy which consumes him disturbs the reason of our friend Marcel; the great artist is beside himself.”

“Order!” cried Marcel.

“So much so, that, able designer as he is, he has just introduced into his speech a figure the incorrectness of which has been ably pointed out by the talented orator who preceded me.”

“Colline is an ass!” shouted Marcel, with a bang of his fist on the table that caused a lively sensation among the plates. “Colline knows nothing in an affair of sentiment; he is incompetent to judge of such matters; he has an old book in place of a heart.”

Prolonged laughter from Schaunard. During the row, Colline kept gravely adjusting the folds of his white cravat as if to make way for the torrents of eloquence contained beneath them. When silence was re-established, he thus continued:

“Gentlemen, I intend with one word to banish from your minds the chimerical apprehensions which the suspicions of Marcel may have engendered in them respecting Carolus.”

“Oh, yes!” said Marcel, ironically.

“It will be as easy as that,” continued Colline, blowing out the match with which he had lighted his pipe.

“Go on! go on!” cried Schaunard, Rodolphe, and the women together.

“Gentlemen! although I have been personally and vio-