Crowded Out! and Other Sketches | Page 7

twice. She wore a gown of black silk,
dead-black, lustrous, and fitting her slender figure to perfection. It was
cut square and low in the front and fell away in long folds upon the
floor at the back. What an apparition she made in the midst of this
noisy crowd, smoking, chatting, swearing, laughing! Especially so
when I noticed that as she walked very slowly down between the tables,
her lips were moving nervously and her hands clutching at her beautiful
dress. As for her eyes, they were everywhere in an instant.
"'Tis Félicité. You are fortunate," murmured De Kock. "And she is a

little worse than usual."
"What is it?" I demanded. "Drink?" "Hush-sh-sh! Mon cher, you are
stupid. It is jealousy, jealousy, my friend, with perhaps an occasional
over-dose of chloral. Chloral is the favorite prescription now-a-days,
you must remember that. But jealousy will do, jealousy will do. It will
accomplish a great deal, will jealousy; will destroy more, mark that! I
hope she will be quiet to-night for your sake."
"Is she violent?" I asked.
"Poor thing, yes. When she finds him now with that creature inside his
coat; she will wring her hands and denounce him and threaten to kill
it--I wonder she doesn't--then her husband will march her off behind
the curtain and he will make love to the parrot again." Precisely what
happened. The lady soon found her husband, raised her hands tragically
and broke out into excited French that was liberally sprinkled with
oaths both English and French. The mania was asserting itself, the
propensity overcoming her. It was a sad and at the same time an
amusing scene, for one could not help smiling at Giuseppe's fat
unconcern as he kept his wife off at arms' length, while all the time the
parrot inside his coat was shrieking in muffled tones "And for goodness
sake don't say I told you!"
Finally Madame succumbed and was taken behind the curtain in a
dishevelled and hysterical condition which increased De Kock's pity for
her. We paid the waiter--or rather De Kock did--and left, not seeing
Giuseppe again to speak to, though he came in and removed the parrot,
cage and all.
It was a lovely night outside, and I suggested sitting for a time in Union
Square. Finding an unoccupied bench, we each made ourselves happy
with a good cigar and watched the exquisite shadows of the trees above
as thrown by the electric light on the pavement.
"Wonderful effect!" remarked my friends. "How did you enjoy your
dinner? That was a dinner, eh, and no mistake; rather have had it
without the 'episode'? Oh! I don't know; you literary fellows must come

in for that sort of thing as well as the rest of the world; I should think it
would just suit you. Put them--the three of them-- Monsieur, Madame
and the Pea-Green Parrot--into a book, or better still, on the stage.
There's your title ready for you too."
I was just thinking of the same thing.
"They are undoubtedly originals, both of them--all three," said I, "but
as far as I have seen them, there is hardly enough to go upon."
"What do you mean by 'enough'?"
"I mean, for one thing, we do not understand the woman's mental and
moral condition sufficiently to make a study of her. You say it is
jealousy, and at the same time the use of chloral. That would have to be
understood more clearly. Then, one would like something to--"
"Go on," said my friend. "To--"
"Happen," said I, lighting a second cigar.
Just then a couple of boys ran across the square. One of them stumbled
over my feet, picked himself up quickly and ran on again. Two or three
people now came, all running. De Kock jumped up.
"Something is happening," he said, "and with a vengeance too I fancy.
Hark!"
The people now came fast and furious through the square, increasing in
numbers every moment, but through the bustle and hurry and clatter of
tongues, we could hear a woman's voice screaming in evident distress.
Mingled with it was another sound which may have mystified the
general crowd, but which De Kock and I could easily place.
"It is the parrot!" I exclaimed, as we started to run.
"You have your wish, mon cher, is it not so? But take it not so fast; we
will be there in time. Ciel! What a row!"

The steps leading up to the restaurant were thronged with people,
including two or three policemen. The dining-room was ablaze with
light, and still full of visitors, most of whom, however, were moving
about in a state of agitation. The upper windows were also lighted and
wide open. The screaming suddenly ceased, but not the parrot.
"For goodness sake don't