ten o'clock
What a continuous stream of wheezes , unintelligible for the most part , of antediluvian puns , of pure nonsense at which he laughs so heartily that it is difficult not to laugh with him . He wanted to learn a few words of Chinese , and Pan-Chao having told him that `` tching-tching '' means thanks , he has been tching-tchinging at every opportunity , with burlesque intonation . Then we have French songs , Russian songs , Chinese songs -- among others the `` Shiang-Touo-Tching , '' the _ Chanson de la Reverie _ , in which our young Celestial repeats that the flowers of the peach tree are of finest fragrance at the third moon , and those of the red pomegranate at the fifth . The dinner lasts till ten o'clock . At this moment the actor and actress , who had retired during dessert , made their entry , one in a coachman 's overcoat , the other in a nurse 's jacket , and they gave us the _ Sonnettes _ with an energy , a go , a dash -- well , it would only be fair to them if Claretie , on the recommendation of Meilhac and Halevy , offers to put them on the pension list of the Comédie Française . At midnight the festival is over . We all retire to our sleeping places .