He considered Sillery something wonderful, and waited with a beating heart for the verdict of so formidable a judge.

At the end of a few moments Sillery said, without raising his eyes from the manuscript: "Here are some fine verses!" A flood of delight filled the heart of the poet from the Faubourg St.-Jacques.
As soon as he had finished his reading, Paul arose from his seat, and, extending both hands over the carafes and glasses to Amedee, said, enthusiastically: "Let me shake hands with you! Your description of the battle-scene is astonishing! It is admirable! It is as clear and precise as Merimee, and it has all the color and imagination that he lacks to make him a poet.

It is something absolutely new.

My dear Monsieur Violette, I congratulate you with all my heart! I can not ask you for this beautiful poem for La Guepe that Jocquelet is so fortunate as to have to recite, and of which I hope he will make a success.

But I beg of you, as a great favor, to let me have some verses for my paper; they will be, I am sure, as good as these, if not better.