"And only smell," said he, "the soup is just fit to come off the fire." Riviere smiled sadly, but consented to deign to eat a morsel in the porch.

Thereat Dard dashed wildly into the kitchen.
They dined at one little round table, each after his fashion.

When Dard could eat no more, he proceeded to drink; and to talk in proportion.
Riviere, lost in his own thoughts, attended to him as men of business do to a babbling brook; until suddenly from the mass of twaddle broke forth a magic word--Beaurepaire; then the languid lover pricked up his ears and found Mr.Dard was abusing that noble family right and left.

Young Riviere inquired what ground of offence they had given HIM.

"I'll tell you," said Dard; "they impose on Jacintha; and so she imposes on me." Then observing he had at last gained his employer's ear, he became prodigiously loquacious, as such people generally are when once they get upon their own griefs.
"These Beaurepaire aristocrats," said he, with his hard peasant good-sense, "are neither the one thing nor the other; they cannot keep up nobility, they have not the means; they will not come down off their perch, they have not the sense.