Never did the founder of the 'Credit Austyr-Dalmate' fail to manifest in some such way his profound aversion for the novelist.

Men of his species, profoundly cynical and calculating, fear and scorn at the same time a certain literature.
Moreover, he had too much tact not to be aware of the instinctive repulsion with which he inspired Julien.

But to Hafner, all social strength was tariffed, and literary success as much as any other.

As he was afraid, as on the staircase of the Palais Castagna, that he had gone too far, he added, laying his hand with its long, supple fingers familiarly upon the author's shoulder: "This is what I admire in him: It is that he allows profane persons, such as we are, to plague him, without ever growing angry.

He is the only celebrated author who is so simple....