"You have neglected to translate them, entirely
forgetting that not everybody has been professor in a college, and
knight of the ferule, like yourself."
"Their meaning," he replied, "may be expressed in this little couplet:
'If you fly from men, they'll be sure to pursue, But if you follow them,
they will fly from you."
"Ha! ha!" laughed Zerbine, "that's a verse that ought to be set to
music." And she began singing it to a merry tune at the top of her
voice; a voice so clear and ringing that it was a pleasure to hear it.
She accompanied her song with such an amusing and effective pantomime,
representing flight and pursuit, that it was a pity she had not had
a larger audience to enjoy it. After this outburst of merriment she
quieted down a little, and gave her companions a brief, history of her
adventures since she had parted from them, declaring that the marquis
had invariably treated her with the courtesy and generosity of a prince.
But in spite of it all she had longed for her old wandering life with
the troupe, the excitement of acting, and the rounds of applause she
never failed to win; and at last she confessed to the marquis that she
was pining for her role of soubrette.
"'Very well,' he said to me, 'you can take your mules and your
belongings and go in pursuit of the troupe, and I will shortly follow
in pursuit of you.
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