seven
o'clock
There were oceans of trouble about this play , and poor Beauvais was near wild , for Monsieur Voltaire was a troublesome manager , a troublesome actor , a troublesome guest , a troublesome person altogether . The play was given in that great yellow saloon , opening off from the grand staircase , where Molière first gave _ Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme _ , and where Lulli jumped from the stage into the orchestra to amuse Louis le Grand when he was bored with _ Pourceaugnac _ . Monsieur Voltaire was , I am sure , much harder to please than Louis le Grand , and Madame du Châtelet was harder to please than Monsieur Voltaire . The performance began at seven o'clock . The king paid the strictest attention to it , and even Madame du Châtelet , who was furiously jealous of every woman on whom Monsieur Voltaire cast his eye , was obliged to behave reasonably . Monsieur Voltaire was stage manager only in this play . The entire cast was good , but not one of the ladies and gentlemen could stand any comparison with Francezka .