the precise thought
which lurked in that look, the indignant thought of this simple and
right-minded little woman; for the look said: "You are jealous--that is
what you are. Shameful!"

He bent his head and went on with his dinner.

He was not hungry and found nothing nice. A longing to be off harassed
him, a craving to be away from these people, to hear no more of their
talking, jests, and laughter.

Father Roland meanwhile, to whose head the fumes of the wine were rising
once more, had already forgotten his son's advice and was eyeing a
champagne-bottle with a tender leer as it stood, still nearly full, by
the side of his plate. He dared not touch it for fear of being lectured
again, and he was wondering by what device or trick he could possess
himself of it without exciting Pierre's remark. A ruse occurred to
him, the simplest possible. He took up the bottle with an air of
indifference, and holding it by the neck, stretched his arm across the
table to fill the doctor's glass, which was empty; then he filled up
all the other glasses, and when he came to his own he began talking very
loud, so that if he poured anything into it they might have sworn it was
done inadvertently. And in fact no one took any notice.

Pierre, without observing it, was drinking a good deal. Nervous and
fretted, he every minute raised to his lips the tall crystal funnel
where the bubbles were dancing in the living, translucent fluid. He let
the wine slip very slowly over his tongue, that he might feel the little
sugary sting of the fixed air as it evaporated.

Gradually a pleasant warmth glowed in his frame. Starting from the
stomach as a centre, it spread to his chest, took possession of his
limbs, and diffused itself throughout his flesh, like a warm and
comforting tide, bringing pleasure with it. He felt better now, less
impatient, less annoyed, and his determination to speak to his brother
that very evening faded away; not that he thought for a moment of
giving it up, but simply not to disturb the happy mood in which he found
himself.

Beausire presently rose to propose a toast. Having bowed to the company,
he began:

"Most gracious ladies and gentlemen, we have met to do honour to a happy
event which has befallen one of our friends. It used to be said that
Fortune was blind, but I believe that she is only short-sighted or
tricksy, and that she has lately bought a good pair of glasses which
enabled her to discover in the town of H