Life — December 27, 1894 — page 24: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Scene: Boudoir and toitette-room of a Society belle. The belle, besides being very beautiful, ts still young and Sresh, is seated in front of her dressing-table who, her hair for the night. On the dressing-table area mirror and various articles of toilette. THe Maip: was a great triumph to-night; no? “teatlh THE BELLE (aéstractedly): Yes, Céleste, | think so. THE Main (eith pride): adore mademoiselle ; no? THE BELLE: No, enough of them. Tue Matp: has an embarras de choix THE BeLLe You speak truly, Céleste, for it really is an embarras de choix. (Sighing again.) It is that which makes me—but, bah! why think of it all? I suppose it is the experience of all girls like me in There! That will do for to-night, Céleste ; [am going to sit up for a little. I may read and I may write, I THE Maip (Aorrified): But lost so much of the beauty sleep ! THE e, Lam restless. if all be true that men have told me to-night, | THe Maip: Ah! THE BELLE Va-t'en Maid.) THE Mademoiselle The men all fall down and Some of ther not all the men, (Sighing.) Too many of them! That is good. Comme ca, mademoiselle Yes, an embarras de choix. Society, with a fortune, a face and a facile tongue. ‘annot say. mademoiselle has already BELLE: N'importe, Célest Besides, do not need it. Ca, c'est vrai, mademoiselle. dormir toi-méme, alors. (4.xz¢ BELLE (alone): is, counting one, that [ suppose, does not count. Five proposals in or That ought not, to night! Four of them at any rate, such asa girl in her jump a As for the fifth—well, I mean, if I can help it, I won't. Yet— Let me review the others. First came second season should won't think of it, 1 but what nonsen old T if he is a day. probably true. erly, Sixty years old, he said he was.” He is eighty, Worth four millions, he said! ‘That part is But,oh!— Let us pass on to the next. Phillip ton Denning, the writer and thinker; the literary lion of the season. Funny he should far Ege me. I ellect, and I feel that Vet—(muses several minutes, Oh, yes rheartily), 1 like him, too, myself. [cannot help admiring his in I should always respect him. then sighs). Who next ? (Laughé Lord Tuff- nutt, the latest British importation ; must not forget Azm. who did me the honor to offer me, with a monocle in one fishy ey: his title, his mortgaged estates and the family tree that, in its time, has borne an abundance of just such over- And for what?) My youth, beauty and money. Nonsense, Next. Ahem! The same thing, in a measure, only of our own manufacture. Tracy de Puyster Van Treffer, of the most cerulean of blue- blooded Knickerbocker stock. Truly our country has reached a wonderful height in her industries, when she can turn out anything so nearly like the English articl ripe fruit as he is. en to his morals, as Tracy de Puyster Van Treffer! There they are, All— Well, L might as well list him. Something all of them, labelled to the best: possible advantage. except Jack. Poor Jack ! Jack Willoughby. church mouse, handsome as Apollo, and true as steel. down-town. Poor as a Ah, well! (ségAéng) | suppose | must not think of him. Itis lucky, though, that someone interrupted us when he proposed, or I might have said yes. | was overcome with the heat of the ball-room; and when he put his arm around me, and whisperingly begged for an answer, I felt so weak, for the moment, that | don’t think I to refuse him. hould have had the strength But somebody came, somebody always does, lam safe. 1 promised them all an answer in’ a week. Anembarras de choix, Celéste said. (Closes her eyes and thinks.) A half-hour or more passes, during which the belle appears to sleep. Suddenly she opens her eyes. THE BELLE: IT must have slept. dreams seemed to offer me any help. Oh, dear! anything or anybody that can show me what to do? A Voice: There is. ‘THE BELLE (startled) : Good gracious! What was that? A VoIce: THE BELLE Where are you? A Voice: Your mirror, THe BeLLe: speak. and I suppos But nothing in my Is there Don't be frightened. It was I. (sté/l more alarmed): But who But, good Heavens! Mirrors cannot comicbooks.com