“You must move with the times, monsieur.
In Paris Beaumarchais is the rage. ‘Figaro’
is known to-day throughout the world. Let us
borrow a little of his glory. It will draw the
people in. They will come to see half a ‘Figaro’
when they will not come to see a dozen ‘Heartless
Fathers.’ Therefore let us cast the mantle
of Figaro upon some one, and proclaim it in our title.”
“But as I am the head of the company... " began
M. Binet, weakly.
“If you will be blind to your interests, you
will presently be a head without a body. And
what use is that? Can the shoulders of Pantaloon
carry the mantle of Figaro? You laugh.
Of course you laugh. The notion is absurd.
The proper person for the mantle of Figaro is Scaramouche,
who is naturally Figaro’s twin-brother.”
Thus tyrannized, the tyrant Binet gave way, comforted
by the reflection that if he understood anything at
all about the theatre, he had for fifteen livres a
month acquired something that would presently be earning
him as many louis.
The company’s reception of the canevas now confirmed
him, if we except Polichinelle, who, annoyed at having
lost half his part in the alterations, declared the
new scenario fatuous.
“Ah! You call my work fatuous, do you?”
M. Binet hectored him.
“Your work?” said Polichinelle, to add
with his tongue in his cheek: “Ah, pardon.
I had not realized that you were the author.”
“Then realize it now.”
“You were very close with M. Parvissimus over
this authorship,” said Polichinelle, with impudent
suggestiveness.
“And what if I was? What do you imply?”
“That you took him to cut quills for you, of
course.”
“I’ll cut your ears for you if you’re
not civil,” stormed the infuriated Binet.
Polichinelle got up slowly, and stretched himself.
“Dieu de Dieu!” said he. “If
Pantaloon is to play Rhodomont, I think I’ll
leave you. He is not amusing in the part.”
And he swaggered out before M. Binet had recovered
from his speechlessness.
EXIT MONSIEUR PARVISSIMUS
Ar four o’clock on Monday afternoon the curtain
rose on “Figaro-Scaramouche” to an audience
that filled three quarters of the market-hall.
M. Binet attributed this good attendance to the influx
of people to Guichen for the fair, and to the magnificent
parade of his company through the streets of the township
at the busiest time of the day. Andre-Louis
attributed it entirely to the title. It was
the “Figaro” touch that had fetched in
the better-class bourgeoisie, which filled more than
half of the twenty-sous places and three quarters
of the twelve-sous seats. The lure had drawn
them. Whether it was to continue to do so would
depend upon the manner in which the canevas over which
he had laboured to the glory of Binet was interpreted
by the company. Of the merits of the canevas
itself he had no doubt. The authors upon whom
he had drawn for the elements of it were sound, and
he had taken of their best, which he claimed to be
no more than the justice due to them.
