As soon as the bell rang, announcing the first visitor, he would take up his position in one of the window recesses as far as possible from the lamp.

And he remained there the whole evening, resting his chin on the palm of his right hand, and listening religiously.

The greatest absurdities did not disturb his equanimity.
He nodded approval even to the wild grunts of Granoux.

When anyone asked him his own opinion, he politely repeated that of the majority.

Nothing seemed to tire his patience, neither the hollow dreams of the marquis, who spoke of the Bourbons as if 1815 were a recent date, nor the effusions of citizen Roudier, who grew quite pathetic when he recounted how many pairs of socks he had supplied to the citizen king, Louis Philippe.