ith Christine, while
Mahoudeau and Gagniere brought up the rear, still joking coarsely about
what they called the beautiful herbalist's padding.

The dining-room which they now entered was very spacious, and the light
was gaily bright after the subdued illumination of the drawing-room. The
walls, covered with specimens of old earthenware, displayed a gay medley
of colours, reminding one of cheap coloured prints. Two sideboards,
one laden with glass and the other with silver plate, sparkled like
jewellers' show-cases. And in the centre of the room, under the
big hanging lamp girt round with tapers, the table glistened like a
_catafalque_ with the whiteness of its cloth, laid in perfect style,
with decorated plates, cut-glass decanters white with water or
ruddy with wine, and symmetrical side-dishes, all set out around the
centre-piece, a silver basket full of purple roses.

They sat down, Henriette between Claude and Mahoudeau, Sandoz with
Mathilde and Christine beside him, Jory and Gagniere at either end; and
the servant had barely finished serving the soup, when Madame Jory made
a most unfortunate remark. Wishing to show herself amiable, and not
having heard her husband's apologies, she said to the master of the
house:

'Well, were you pleased with the article in this morning's number?
Edouard personally revised the proofs with the greatest care!'

On hearing this, Jory became very much confused and stammered:

'No, no! you are mistaken! It was a very bad article indeed, and you
know very well that it was "passed" the other evening while I was away.'

By the silent embarrassment which ensued she guessed her blunder. But
she made matters still worse, for, giving her husband a sharp glance,
she retorted in a very loud voice, so as to crush him, as it were, and
disengage her own responsibility:

'Another of your lies! I repeat what you told me. I won't allow you to
make me ridiculous, do you hear?'

This threw a chill over the beginning of the dinner. Henriette
recommended the _kilkis_, but Christine alone found them very nice.
When the grilled mullet appeared, Sandoz, who was amused by Jory's
embarrassment, gaily reminded him of a lunch they had had together at
Marseilles in the old days. Ah! Marseilles, the only city where people
know how to eat!

Claude, who for a little while had been absorbed in thought, now seemed
to awaken from a dream, and without any transition he asked:

'Is it decided? Have they sel