very badly; he will not be an honor to his country. Please to remember
that he may be called upon to take part in some official quadrille--to
dance, for instance, with an archduchess. Well, if he slips up in it,
with his archduchess, it will be charming! All this is very sad indeed.
I am a Republican, sir, an old Republican, and it is painful to think
that the republic is represented by diplomats who cannot distinguish
between a change of foot and a simple step. Do you know what is said in
foreign courts? 'Why, who are those savages that France sends us?' Yes,
that's what they say. The diplomatic corps in the time of the Empire was
not brilliant. Oh no; those gentlemen did many foolish things. Oh yes;
but still they knew how to dance!"

And the good old bishop, seeing that I listened with much interest, went
on with his brilliant improvisation.

"Dancing, sir, is not merely a pleasure, an amusement; no, it is of
great social interest. Why, the question of marriage is closely
connected with dancing. At present, in France, marriage is languishing.
That is proved by statistics. Well, I am convinced that if there are
fewer marriages it is because there is less dancing. Consider this first
of all, that to know how to dance well, very well, is, for an agreeable
young man who is without fortune, a great advantage in society. One of
my pupils, sir, has recently married extremely well. He was a very
ordinary kind of youth, who had tried everything and had succeeded in
nothing; but he was a first-rate waltzer, and he danced away with two
millions."

"Two millions!"

"Yes, two millions, and they were two cash millions; she was an orphan,