"How would you make it pay?" asked Portia. "I can't see where your
dividends would come from."

"That is simple enough," said Madame Récamier. "We could put up a large
reception-hall with a portion of our capital, and advertise a series of
nights--say one a week throughout the season. These would be Warriors'
Night, Story-tellers' Night, Poets' Night, Chafing-dish Night under the
charge of Brillat-Savarin, and so on. It would be understood that on these
particular evenings the most interesting people in certain lines would be
present, and would mix with outsiders, who should be admitted only on
payment of a certain sum of money. The commonplace inhabitants of this
country could thus meet the truly great; and if I know them well, as I
think I do, they'll pay readily for the privilege. The obscure love to rub
up against the famous here as well as they do on earth."

"You'd run a sort of Social Zoo?" suggested Elizabeth.

"Precisely; and provide entertainment for private residences too. An
advertisement in Boswell's paper, which everybody buys--"

"And which nobody reads," said Portia.

"They read the advertisements," retorted Madame Récamier. "As I was
saying, an advertisement could be placed in Boswell's paper as follows:
'Are you giving a Function? Do you want Talent? Get your Genius at the
Récamier Salon (Limited).' It would be simply magnificent as a business
enterprise. The common herd would be tickled to death if they could get
great people at their homes, even if they had to pay roundly for them."

"It would look well in the society notes, wouldn't it, if Mr. John Boggs