Whereupon the two men had desisted from their farce, had sprung at one another's throats, their faces livid with hate, and were now rolling over and over behind a set of side lights, pounding away at each other as though they weren't breakable.
"Monsieur Bordenave, Monsieur Bordenave!" said the stage manager, coming up in a terrible flutter.
Bordenave made his excuses to the prince and followed him.

When he recognized Fauchery and Mignon in the men on the floor he gave vent to an expression of annoyance.

They had chosen a nice time, certainly, with His Highness on the other side of the scenery and all that houseful of people who might have overheard the row! To make matters worse, Rose Mignon arrived out of breath at the very moment she was due on the stage.

Vulcan, indeed, was giving her the cue, but Rose stood rooted to the ground, marveling at sight of her husband and her lover as they lay wallowing at her feet, strangling one another, kicking, tearing their hair out and whitening their coats with dust.

They barred the way.