A Glimpse of Parisian Life.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1683, 10 July 1875, Page 6 (Supplement)

A Glimpse of Parisian Life.

In a club on the Boulevard, which it would hardly be fair to name, a very good anecdote, says the Paris correspondent of the london Glob* is being told of the Mi-Careme < n that day the Baron de 8., who had but lately become a benedict, accepted an invitation to a bacholor's supper at a fashionable restaurant, and after, bidding his lady good-bye at the door of her room, as she did not care to sit up for him, he started off to keep his engagement. When the supper was over, one of the gentlemen remembered that the last ball was being given at the Opera Comique, and proposed that they should all go. The proposition was accepted, but not without hesitation on the part of the Baron. When once at the ball, the excitement of the festivities and revels dissipated all the scruples of M. de B, who, with his friends, had soon collected round them a gay party of dominoes. The domino rose, who lor a moment had engrossed the attentions of the Baron, dropped her fan. Be gallantly stooped to pick it up, and was offering it to the lady when the froufrou of a domino blcmc passing him attracted his attention. He turned and to his horror beheld the domino he had authorised his wife to order for the grand .al masque a M. Atsene Houssaye's. The Baron de B. could swear to the costume and to the antique lace he himself had bought for the dress of his wife, whom he had seen retiring for the night before leaving home. Horror of horrors, the domino llanc was leaning nonchalantly on the arm of a gentleman. To make certain the Baron passed the domino i and placed himself so that the couple must pass close to him. On they came, arm in arm, chatting ; but the lady raised ber eyes, caught sight of the Baron, started like a guilty thing, and turned and fled. M. de 8., who tells the story himself, says that he cannot describe what passed in his; mind as he hurried like a maniac after; the domino. The words of Dumas* j Jr., ' Tue la,' sounded in bis ears ; but! at last he came up to the lady, who! cowered down in a seat in the eouloir\ unable to utter a word, extending herf hands as if begging for mercy. Qrip-jj ping her wrist with one hand, with the| other he tore off the hup which con-a cealed her face, and beheld to his| astonishment the features of his wife's! lady's maid, who had put on the cos-i tume of her mistress and come out for! a night's enjoyment while,the latter| was supposed to be tranquilly sleeping! in her bed. 'I he Baron was puzzledl what to do. He could not dismiss the! femme de chambre without telling hisj wife the whole affair, and saying wherej and how he met her, so, after warning; her not to repeat such an offence, he or-] dered her home instantly, and he basj since amused his friends with the narra-j tive of his piquant adventure and itsj tragic, or rather dramatic, denoument. \