Page:The Bohemians of the Latin Quarter.djvu/84

Schaunard sat down in the grove; for so at “Mother Cadet’s” they called the scattered foliage of two or three rickety trees whose sickly boughs had been trained into a sort of arbor.

“Hang the expense!” said Schaunard to himself, “I mean to have a good blow-out, a regular Belshazzar’s feast in private life:” and without more ado, he ordered a bowl of soup, half a plate of sour-crout, and two half stews, having observed that you get more for two halves than one whole one.

This extensive order attracted the attention of a young person in white with a head-dress of orange-flowers and ball-shoes; a veil of sham imitation lace streamed down her shoulders, which she had no special reason to be proud of. She was a prima donna of the Mont Parnasse theatre, the green-room of which all but opens into Mother Cadet’s kitchen; she had come to take a meal between two acts of Lucia, and was at that moment finishing with a small cup of coffee her dinner, composed exclusively of an artichoke seasoned with oil and vinegar.

“Two stews! Deuce take it!” said she, in an aside to the girl who acted as waiter at the establishment; “that young man feeds himself well. How much do I owe, Adèle?”

“Artichoke four, coffee four, bread one: that makes nine sous.”

“There they are,” said the singer: and off she went humming:

“Why, she is giving us the la!” exclaimed a mysterious personage half hidden behind a rampart of old books, who was seated at the same table with Schaunard.