Two friends, on the conventional.

Arnaud: Who is Lina?

Cecily: A good friend of mine.

Arnaud: I have seen her in photographs. She is extraordinarily gorgeous. Is she weird, or desperately conventional?

Two friends, on weddings.

Cecily: Jonathan loves churches. If only we could have a non-denominational wedding in a Catholic cathedral. Or a mosque.

Alexander: Perhaps a nice, non-denominational meadow? I’m getting married in a whiskey library.

Two friends, on world domination.

Arnaud: The world is mine!

Cecily: I want Paris.

Arnaud: No.

Cecily: In that case, I’ll have to seize it by force or charm. I have all of the men of Paris on my side. What do you have? The female waitstaff of your favourite café?

Cecily, waltzing through the Tuileries.

Cecily: Oh just listen to the jingle-jangle of the mini Eiffel Tower key rings and see the glossy skin of the unnecessarily handsome African salesmen!

Cecily, on “Frederic”.

Cecily: We called him Frederic for two hours before we realised that it was not his name. A twenty two year-old comedian with a provincial French accent, he slithered up to us when we were all eyes-peeled for benefactors, and poised to target men with Berlutti shoes. I use the word “slithered” a little callously. But slippery, young, money-hungry women look more like goddesses than snakes, and poor French boys looking for a little love lust can at times be scrawny and clothed in snake green. Frederic was.