What particularly struck him was the almost religious solemnness of the entrance, the heavy hangings, the mystic gleams of the stained-glass, the old furniture steeped in chapel-like gloom amidst scattered perfumes of myrrh and incense.

Duthil, who was still very gay, tapped a low divan with his cane and said: "She has a nicely-furnished house, eh?
Oh! she knows how to look after her interests." Then the Baron came in, still quite upset and anxious.

And without even perceiving the priest, desirous as he was of tidings, he began: "Well, what did they do?
Is there some very bad news, then ?" "Mege interpellated and applied for a declaration of urgency so as to overthrow Barroux.

You can imagine what his speech was." "Yes, yes, against the _bourgeois_, against me, against you.

It's always the same thing--And then ?" "Then--well, urgency wasn't voted, but, in spite of a very fine defence, Barroux only secured a majority of two votes." "Two votes, the devil! Then he's down, and we shall have a Vignon ministry next week." "That's what everybody said in the lobbies." The Baron frowned, as if he were estimating what good or evil might result to the world from such a change.