chemist's shop, and the "Naw! naw! naw!" would be encored
several times running.

Upon this Tartarin would sponge his brow, smile on the ladies,
wink to the sterner sex, and withdraw upon his triumph to go
remark at the club with a trifling, offhand air:

"I have just come from the Bezuquets', where I was forced to sing
'em the duo from Robert le Diable."

The cream of the joke was that he really believed it!



IV.
"They!"


CHIEFLY to the account of these diverse talents did Tartarin owe
his lofty position in the town of Tarascon. Talking of captivating,
though, this deuce of a fellow knew how to ensnare everybody.
Why, the army, at Tarascon, was for Tartarin. The brave
commandant, Bravida, honorary captain retired -- in the Military
Clothing Factory Department -- called him a game fellow; and you
may well admit that the warrior knew all about game fellows, he
played such a capital knife and fork on game of all kinds.

So was the legislature on Tartarin's side. Two or three times, in
open court, the old chief judge, Ladevese, had said, in alluding to
him: