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Updated: June 14, 2025
Sandoz, who had lent an ear to the conversation, greatly interested by this fine business, called out as soon as Jory and Claude became silent: 'Let's be off, eh? My legs are getting numbed. But at that moment Irma Becot appeared, and stopped in front of the buffet.
Sandoz took Mathilde's, Jory charged himself with Christine, while Mahoudeau and Gagniere brought up the rear, still joking coarsely about what they called the beautiful herbalist's padding. The dining-room which they now entered was very spacious, and the light was gaily bright after the subdued illumination of the drawing-room.
The herbalist woman? asked Jory. 'Let her come in; it will be great fun. The door indeed had already been opened, and Mahoudeau's neighbour, Madame Jabouille, or Mathilde, as she was familiarly called, appeared on the threshold. She was about thirty, with a flat face horribly emaciated, and passionate eyes, the lids of which had a bluish tinge as if they were bruised.
In Paris where he had fallen in with the whole band of Plassans he had taken to art criticism, and, for a livelihood, he wrote articles for twenty francs apiece in a small, slashing paper called 'The Drummer. Indeed, one of these articles, a study on a picture by Claude exhibited at Papa Malgras's, had just caused a tremendous scandal; for Jory had therein run down all the painters whom the public appreciated to extol his friend, whom he set up as the leader of a new school, the school of the 'open air. Very practical at heart, he did not care in reality a rap about anything that did not conduce to his own pleasures; he simply repeated the theories he heard enunciated by his friends.
However, it was the mistress of the house who carved, while the master took his place facing her, against the blockaded sideboard, in order to hand round whatever things might be required. Henriette had placed Claude on her right hand, Mahoudeau on her left, while Gagniere and Jory were seated next to Sandoz. 'Francoise, she called, 'give me the slices of toast. They are on the range.
'What! are you going? said Mahoudeau to Chaine, who was rising from his chair. The other mumbled some indistinct words in his beard, and went off after distributing handshakes among the party. 'I know, said Jory to Mahoudeau. 'I believe he has a weakness for your neighbour, the herbalist woman. I saw his eyes flash all at once; it comes upon him like toothache. Look how he's running over there.
He, Jory, had nearly had a duel at the Cafe Baudequin on account of one of his last articles in 'The Drummer. The fact was he was giving it hot to the twopenny-halfpenny painters, the men with the usurped reputations!
Pouillaud, the old jester of their dormitory, who had become so grave a lawyer, was now in trouble over some adventure with a woman. Ah! that brute of a Pouillaud! But Claude did not answer, for, having heard his name mentioned in the dining-room, he listened attentively, trying to understand. Jory, Mahoudeau, and Gagniere, unsatiated and eager for another bite, had started on the massacre again.
However, at dessert there came a diversion, for Gagniere all at once remarked to Jory: 'By the way, I saw you with Mathilde the day before yesterday. Yes, yes, in the Rue Dauphine. Jory, who had turned very red, tried to deny it; 'Oh, a mere accidental meeting honour bright! he stammered. 'I don't know where she hangs out, or I would tell you.
Fagerolles himself, gibing Parisian though he might be, believed in the necessity of forming an army; while even Jory, although he had a coarser appetite, with a deal of the provincial still about him, displayed much useful comradeship, catching various artistic phrases as they fell from his companions' lips, and already preparing in his mind the articles which would herald the advent of the band and make them known.
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