Червоне та чорне

The Hotel de La Mole

           

           Thereisnoincomeofahundredthousandcrownsayearandnoblueribbonwhichcouldsustainacontestagainstsuchacodeofsalonetiquette.

           Theslightestliveideaappearedacrudity.Inspiteoftheprevailinggoodform,perfectpoliteness,anddesiretoplease,ennuiwasvisibleineveryface.Theyoungpeoplewhocametopaytheircallswerefrightenedofspeakingofanythingwhichmightmakethemsuspectedofthinkingorofbetrayingthattheyhadreadsomethingprohibited,andrelapsedintosilenceafterafewelegantphrasesaboutRossiniandtheweather.

           JuliennoticedthattheconversationwasusuallykeptalivebytwoviscountsandfivebaronswhomM.delaMolehadknownatthetimeoftheemigration.Thesegentlemenenjoyedanincomeoffromsixtoeighthundredthousandfrancs.FoursworebytheQuotidienneandthreebytheGazettedeFrance.OneofthemhadeverydaysomeanecdotetotellabouttheChâteau,inwhichhemadelavishuseofthewordadmirable.Juliennoticedthathehadfivecrosses,theothersasaruleonlyhadthree.

           Bywayofcompensationsixfootmeninliveryweretobeseenintheante-room,andduringthewholeeveningicesorteawereservedeveryquarter-of-an-hour,whileaboutmidnighttherewasakindofsupperwithchampagne.

           ThiswasthereasonthatsometimesinducedJulientostaytilltheend.Apartfromthishecouldscarcelyunderstandwhyanyonecouldbringhimselftotakeseriouslytheordinaryconversationinthismagnificentlygildedsalon.Sometimeshewouldlookatthetalkerstoseeiftheythemselveswerenotmakingfunofwhattheyweresaying."MyM.

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