As if they could interfere with our rights and our salaries, which already require an exhorbitant tax!" "I have not yet had the pleasure of hearing you at the Palais," said Vinet to Monsieur de la Peyrade.
"I am advocate for the poor, and I plead only before the justice of peace," replied la Peyrade.
Mademoiselle Thuillier, as she listened to young Vinet's theory of the necessity of spending an income, assumed a distant air and manner, the significance of which was well understood by Dutocq and the young Provencal.

Vinet left the house in company with Minard and Julien the advocate, so that the battle-field before the fire-place was abandoned to la Peyrade and Dutocq.
"The upper bourgeoisie," said Dutocq to Thuillier, "will behave, in future, exactly like the old aristocracy.

The nobility wanted girls with money to manure their lands, and the parvenus of to-day want the same to feather their nests." "That's exactly what Monsieur Thuillier was saying to me this morning," remarked la Peyrade, boldly.
"Vinet's father," said Dutocq, "married a Demoiselle de Chargeboeuf and has caught the opinions of the nobility; he wants a fortune at any price; his wife spends money regally." "Oh!" said Thuillier, in whom the jealousy between the two classes of the bourgeoisie was fully roused, "take offices away from those fellows and they'd fall back where they came." Mademoiselle was knitting with such precipitous haste that she seemed to be propelled by a steam-engine.
"Take my place, Monsieur Dutocq," said Madame Minard, rising.

"My feet are cold," she added, going to the fire, where the golden ornaments of her turban made fireworks in the light of the Saint-Aurora wax-candles that were struggling vainly to light the vast salon.
"He is very small fry, that young substitute," said Madame Minard, glancing at Mademoiselle Thuillier.
"Small fry!" cried la Peyrade.

"Ah, madame! how witty!" "But madame has so long accustomed us to that sort of thing," said the handsome Thuillier.
Madame Colleville was examining la Peyrade and comparing him with young Phellion, who was just then talking to Celeste, neither of them paying any heed to what was going on around them.