III The Mysterious Reason

           Duringthistime,thefarewellceremonywastakingplace.IhavealreadysaidthatthismagnificentfunctionwasbeinggivenontheoccasionoftheretirementofM.DebienneandM.Poligny,whohaddeterminedto"diegame,"aswesaynowadays.Theyhadbeenassistedintherealizationoftheirideal,thoughmelancholy,programbyallthatcountedinthesocialandartisticworldofParis.Allthesepeoplemet,aftertheperformance,inthefoyeroftheballet,whereSorelliwaitedforthearrivaloftheretiringmanagerswithaglassofchampagneinherhandandalittlepreparedspeechatthetipofhertongue.Behindher,themembersoftheCorpsdeBallet,youngandold,discussedtheeventsofthedayinwhispersorexchangeddiscreetsignalswiththeirfriends,anoisycrowdofwhomsurroundedthesupper-tablesarrangedalongtheslantingfloor.

           Afewofthedancershadalreadychangedintoordinarydress;butmostofthemworetheirskirtsofgossamergauze;andallhadthoughtittherightthingtoputonaspecialfacefortheoccasion:all,thatis,exceptlittleJammes,whosefifteensummers—happyage!—seemedalreadytohaveforgottentheghostandthedeathofJosephBuquet.Sheneverceasedtolaughandchatter,tohopaboutandplaypracticaljokes,untilMm.DebienneandPolignyappearedonthestepsofthefoyer,whenshewasseverelycalledtoorderbytheimpatientSorelli.

           Everybodyremarkedthattheretiringmanagerslookedcheerful,asistheParisway.