The cloth had been laid ever since five o'clock in order that the guests on arriving might feast their eyes upon it.

At either end of the table, on the white cloth, were bouquets of artificial roses, in porcelain vases gilded and painted with flowers.
When the habitual guests of the yellow drawing-room were assembled there they could not conceal their admiration of the spectacle.

Several gentlemen smiled with an air of embarrassment while they exchanged furtive glances, which clearly signified, "These Rougons are mad, they are throwing their money out of the window." The truth was that Felicite, on going round to invite her guests, had been unable to hold her tongue.

So everybody knew that Pierre had been decorated, and that he was about to be nominated to some post; at which, of course, they pulled wry faces.

Roudier indeed observed that "the little black woman was puffing herself out too much." Now that "prize-day" had come this band of bourgeois, who had rushed upon the expiring Republic--each one keeping an eye on the other, and glorying in giving a deeper bite than his neighbour--did not think it fair that their hosts should have all the laurels of the battle.