We said good-night, took our hats, and prepared to leave the restaurant.
But the music was still in progress, playing a captivating waltz, which was like an invitation to ask a lady to dance.
IX
THE WEDDING PARTY IN THE FRONT ROOMS
Balloquet and I were the last to leave the room in which we had dined; and, as we took our hats, we glanced at each other, beating time to the music, and I verily believe we were on the point of waltzing together, when the strains of a polka, nearer at hand, chimed in discordantly with the other music.
"Oho! there are several b.a.l.l.s here, are there?" Balloquet asked a waiter, who was looking at us and smiling.
"Yes, messieurs; there are two wedding parties: one right below us, on the first floor, and another on the same floor, but in the salons at the rear."
"Ah! so there"s a wedding going on in the rear, too?"
"To be sure, monsieur."
"What time is it now?"
"Half-past eleven, monsieur."
"The wedding parties should be at their height. Are there many guests?"
"A great many, monsieur. They are hardly able to dance, they"re so crowded."
"Which is the more brilliant party?"
"They"re both pretty fine, monsieur. But the one in front rather beats the other. It"s a sweller affair."
"I understand. The one in the rear is more free and easy. They"re probably dancing the cancan there. Sapristi! and it"s only midnight! The idea of going to bed, when other people are going to pa.s.s the night enjoying themselves! when you can hear a l.u.s.ty orchestra playing tunes that make your legs itch! Do you like the idea, Rochebrune? Don"t you feel tempted, as I do, to go to one of these b.a.l.l.s downstairs, where they"re tripping the light fantastic?"
"I do, indeed! I would go with all my heart. This music makes me dance all over."
"Do you want to bet that I won"t go to one of these b.a.l.l.s?"
"Do you mean it? You would have the face to do it, when you don"t know anyone?"
"Why not? I"ll show you what a simple thing it would be. There are two b.a.l.l.s. I go to one. If by chance some ill-bred wight sees fit to ask me who I am, whom I know, why, I have my answer all pat: "I was invited to the other party, on the same floor; I made a mistake, that"s all.""
"Upon my word, that would be an excuse. You make me want to do the same thing."
"Bravo! It"s decided: we will both go to the ball. And then, you see, we know so many people! it would be deuced strange if we didn"t see some familiar face in a large party. Then we will just say in an undertone: "You brought me here;" and our acquaintance will ask nothing better than to be our sponsor. Besides, we will dance, and dancing men are always scarce at b.a.l.l.s; sooner or later, it will be the fashion to hire them.
They"ll be only too glad to have us. Come, which one do you choose; it"s all one to me."
"And to me, too."
"Well, I"m a good fellow: the ball in front is more stylish; I"ll let you have that one, and I"ll take the one behind. Especially, as I feel in the mood for dancing a cancan, if it"s a bit _chicardini_. Does that suit you?"
"Perfectly."
"We"re in patent-leathers and have new gloves. It couldn"t be better.--Waiter, just whisk your napkin over our boots. That"s right; now we"re as refulgent as suns; patent-leather boots are a blessed invention.--Forward! I may be mistaken, but I have an idea that I shall make a good thing out of this ball; and you?"
"I haven"t so much a.s.surance as you. But, deuce take it! after all, we"re not people without hearth or home. And, as you say, we might easily make a mistake in the party. Come on!"
"That"s the talk: forward, to the cannon"s mouth!"
We went down one flight; Balloquet humming and hopping; I, slightly fl.u.s.tered, but none the less determined to enjoy myself. We reached the landing between the two b.a.l.l.s; we heard both orchestras.
"Good luck!" said Balloquet; and he entered the door at the right, while I turned to the left.
I entered the room where they were dancing. A quadrille was just beginning.
"A fourth couple here! we want a vis-a-vis!" called a gentleman close beside me.--Then he looked at me and said: "Won"t you be our vis-a-vis?"
"Gladly," I replied; and glancing about, I saw a lady sitting alone on a bench. I hastened to invite her to dance. She accepted. We took our places opposite the gentleman who had no vis-a-vis; the music began and we did the same; and, lo! I was dancing already before I had had time to look about me and become acquainted with the company into which I had so audaciously thrust myself.
But a man who is dancing never has a suspicious look; n.o.body observes him or pays any attention to him. It seemed to me that I had taken the best possible means to become acquainted with my surroundings.
After the first figure, I began by examining my partner, whom I had chosen at random, so to speak.
Chance had served me well. My partner was a very pretty brunette; her great blue eyes were at once tender and intelligent, and I deemed them to be capable of saying many things when they chose to take the trouble.
A slightly aquiline nose, an attractive mouth, beautiful teeth, which she showed often because she laughed readily, black hair falling in long curls over her neck, a mode of dressing the hair which I have always liked--all these details formed a very seductive whole, and that is what I found in my partner, who was light of foot, slender, with a shapely figure, and graceful in every movement.
Then I looked about. By the manners of the women, the costumes of the men, and the prevalent style of dancing, I saw that I had fallen upon a fashionable a.s.semblage. There was not the slightest suggestion of the cancan; but, by way of compensation, there was a distinct odor of patchouli. I was not sure whether they were enjoying themselves much; but, at all events, they accepted boredom with infinite grace.
I saw many ugly women; in a large party, it rarely happens that they are not in the majority. That being so, is it surprising that a pretty woman makes so many conquests? If nature created more of them, beauty would receive less adulation; but as it appears only at rare intervals, it attracts more notice.
However, I saw some good-looking women; others who were rather attractive; others (and that too is common experience) who had no other attraction than their youth. But I looked in vain for anyone equal to my partner.
I concluded to open a conversation with her; if, through her, I could obtain some information concerning the bride and groom, find out something as to my hosts, it would be of advantage to me in my embarra.s.sing position.
"I am very fortunate, madame, to have arrived just in time to find you unengaged. That must be a very rare occurrence, and chance favored me."
"But you see, monsieur, I am in less demand than you seem to think; you had only to come forward. Have you just come, monsieur? I don"t remember seeing you before."
"Yes, madame, yes; I have not been here long."
"What do you think of the bride? Very pretty, is she not?"
I cast my eyes about me with an embarra.s.sed air; I saw n.o.body who looked like a bride. My partner, who noticed my hesitation no doubt, continued:
"Can it be that you haven"t seen her yet?"
"Faith! I have not, madame; I have just come, and I have had no time yet to look for her."
"Look! there she is over yonder, by the orchestra."