oor opened:
it was dinner coming in, for it was now half-past one. The marquise
paused and watched what was brought in, as though she were playing
hostess in her own country house. She made the woman and the two men
who watched her sit down to the table, and turning to the doctor, said,
"Sir, you will not wish me to stand on ceremony with you; these good
people always dine with me to keep me company, and if you approve, we
will do the same to-day. This is the last meal," she added, addressing
them, "that I shall take with you." Then turning to the woman, "Poor
Madame du Rus," said she, "I have been a trouble to you for a long time;
but have a little patience, and you will soon be rid of me. To-morrow
you can go to Dravet; you will have time, for in seven or eight hours
from now there will be nothing more to do for me, and I shall be in the
gentleman's hands; you will not be allowed near me. After then, you can
go away for good; for I don't suppose you will have the heart to see me
executed." All this she said quite calmly, but not with pride. From time
to time her people tried to hide their tears, and she made a sign of
pitying them. Seeing that the dinner was on the table and nobody eating,
she invited the doctor to take some soup, asking him to excuse
the cabbage in it, which made it a common soup and unworthy of his
acceptance. She herself took some soup and two eggs, begging her
fellow-guests to excuse her for not serving them, pointing out that no
knife or fork had been set in her place.

When the meal was almost half finished, she begged the doctor to let
her drink his health. He replied by drinking hers, and she seemed to
be quite charmed by, his condescension. "To-morrow is a fast day," said
she, setting down her glass, "and although it will be a day of great
fatigue for me, as I shall have to undergo the question as well as
death, I intend to obey the orders of the Church and keep my fast."

"Madame," replied the doctor, "if you needed soup to keep you up, you
would not have to feel any scruple, for it will be no self-indulgence,
but a necessity, and the Church does not exact fasting in such a case."

"Sir," replied the marquise, "I will make no difficulty about it, if it
is necessary and if you order it; but it will not be needed, I think:
if I have some soup this evening for supper, and some more made stronger
than usual a little before midnight, it will be enough to last me
through to-morrow, if I have two