"Look there!" said he, passing the letter to his friend.

It was an invitation to dine with a deputy, an enlightened patron of the arts in general and Marcel in particular, since the latter had taken the portrait of his country-house.
"For today," sighed Schaunard.

"Unluckily the ticket is not good for two.

But stay! Now I think of it, your deputy is of the government party; you cannot, you must not accept.

Your principles will not permit you to partake of the bread which has been watered by the tears of the people." "Bah!" replied Marcel, "my deputy is a moderate radical; he voted against the government the other day.