human
How is this, madame? you, in the cardroom?
gpt
Why not, monsieur? Are ladies forbidden to come here?
human
Of course not; but the idea of watching a game of cards, when music beckons to you, and the dance--for they have just begun to dance.
gpt
Well, messieurs, if I prefer cards to dancing, am I not at liberty to do so?
human
Oh! but that cannot be! A pretty woman prefer cards to dancing!
gpt
We have heard you say that you detested cards.
human
Am I not entitled to change my mind? Ask Monsieur Dupétrain here, who is gifted with second-sight; perhaps he can tell you what attracted me to this salon.
gpt
I, fair lady? Ah! I would compel you to tell us, if you would let me put you to sleep!
human
Not at this moment; the place would be ill chosen, I should say. But you can often render a lady a great service by putting her to sleep, Monsieur Dupétrain. If I had known you earlier, I would have asked you to draw the horoscope of a young girl--in whom I was very deeply interested.
gpt
What happened to her? Was she pretty?
human
Lovely!
gpt
Oh! then it must be a love story.
human
Mon Dieu! yes, messieurs; it is, as you say, a love story--a story of love, and seduction; a very commonplace story to you. But we women are always interested in such stories.
gpt
Pray tell us this girl's story, madame.
human
I assure you that it is not likely to interest anybody who did not know the principal actors in it. She was a young seamstress, very poor, but perfectly virtuous, until a young man, who was little richer than she, paid court to her. The girl allowed herself to be seduced; her heart was given, and she fell; for the young man had made the fairest promises, as men have a way of doing when they seek to seduce us. The poor child became a mother; and instead of working four times harder than before, in order to provide her with the means to bring up the child, the seducer sent it to join the unfortunate creatures who are brought up by public charity and who do not know their parents. Oh! that arouses your indignation, does it not, messieurs? When the poor girl asked to see her child, to embrace it, she was put off by falsehoods. But she learned the truth at last; and while she, with a breaking heart, prayed that her son--for it was a son--might be restored to her, her seducer was busily engaged in paying attentions to a young woman of large fortune. To make a long story short, my poor girl died; and the gentleman married, became very rich, and was highly esteemed in society.--You see, messieurs, that my story is in no wise different from what is happening every day.