In five minutes the first act of "The Avenger" was over, and Rodolphe had written three verses of his epitaph.
It would be impossible to describe the astonishment of the four winds when they felt fire in the chimney.
"It's an illusion," quoth Boreas, as he amused himself by brushing back the hair of Rodolphe's bear skin.
"Let's blow down the pipe," suggested another wind, "and make the chimney smoke." But just as they were about to plague the poor poet, the south wind perceived Monsieur Arago at a window of the Observatory threatening them with his finger; so they all made off, for fear of being put under arrest.

Meanwhile the second act of "The Avenger" was going off with immense success, and Rodolphe had written ten lines.

But he only achieved two during the third act.
"I always thought that third act too short," said Rodolphe, "luckily the next one will take longer; there are twenty three scenes in it, including the great one of the throne." As the last flourish of the throne scene went up the chimney in fiery flakes, Rodolphe had only three couplets more to write.

"Now for the last act.

This is all monologue.