Leonarde, who greeted the soubrette with as much
obsequiousness as if she had-been a princess. Isabelle came also to
welcome her, to the great delight of Zerbine, who was devotedly fond of
her, and always trying to do something to please her. She now insisted
upon presenting her with a piece of rich silk, which Isabelle accepted
very reluctantly, and only when she found that the warm-hearted
soubrette would be really wounded if she refused her first gift.
Serafina had shut herself up in her own room, and was the only one that
failed to come and bid Zerbine welcome. She could neither forget nor
forgive the inexplicable preference of the Marquis de Bruyeres for her
humble rival, and she called the soubrette all sorts of hard names in
her wrath and indignation; but nobody paid any attention to her bad
humour, and she was left to sulk in solitude.
When Zerbine asked why Matamore had not come to speak to her with the
rest, they told her the sad story of his death, and also that the Baron
de Sigognac now filled his role, under the name of Captain Fracasse.
"It will be a great honour for me to act with a gentleman whose
ancestors figured honourably in the crusades," said she, "and I only
hope that my profound respect for him will not overwhelm me, and spoil
my acting; fortunately I have become pretty well accustomed to the
society of people of rank lately.
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