"This is Monsieur l'Abbe Froment, my dear _patron_, who has been waiting more than twenty minutes for you--I'm just going to see what is happening inside.

You know that Mege is interpellating the government." The new comer started slightly: "An interpellation!" said he.

"All right, all right, I'll go to it." Pierre was looking at him.

He was about fifty years of age, short of stature, thin and active, still looking young without a grey hair in his black beard.

He had sparkling eyes, too, but his mouth, said to be a terrible one, was hidden by his moustaches.