"Let us go to dinner.

They are waiting for us." When they arrived, the yellow drawing-room was resplendent.

Felicite was all over the place.

Everybody was there; Sicardot, Granoux, Roudier, Vuillet, the oil-dealers, the almond-dealers, the whole set.

The marquis, however, had excused himself on the plea of rheumatism; and, besides, he was about to leave Plassans on a short trip.