the joys of the morrow.

On that morrow Cesarine and her mother, having been to Mass, and having
read their vespers, dressed about four o'clock in the afternoon, after
resigning the _entresol_ to the secular arm of Chevet and his people. No
attire ever suited Madame Cesar better than this cherry-colored velvet
dress with lace trimmings, and short sleeves made with jockeys: her
beautiful arms, still fresh and youthful, her bosom, sparklingly white,
her throat and shoulders of a lovely shape, were all heightened in
effect by the rich material and the resplendent color. The naive delight
which every woman feels when she sees herself in the plenitude of her
power gave an inexpressible sweetness to the Grecian profile of this
charming woman, whose beauty had all the delicacy of a cameo. Cesarine,
dressed in white crape, wore a wreath of white roses, a rose at her
waist, and a scarf chastely covering her shoulders and bust: Popinot was
beside himself.

"These people crush us," said Madame Roguin to her husband as they went
through the appartement.

The notary's wife was furious at appearing less beautiful than Madame
Cesar; for every woman knows how to judge the superiority or the
inferiority of a rival.

"Bah!" whispered Roguin to his wife, "it won't last long; you will soon
bespatter her when you meet her a-foot in the streets, ruined."

Vauquelin showed perfect tact; he came with Monsieur de Lacepede, his
colleague of the Institute, who had called to fetch him in a carriage.
On beholding the resplendent mistress of the fete they both launched
into scientific compliments.

"Ah, madame, you possess a secret of which science is ignorant," said
the chemist, "the recipe for remaining young and beautiful."

"You are, as I may say, partly at home here, Monsieur l'academicien,"
said Birotteau. "Yes, Monsieur le comte," he added, turning to the
high chancellor of the Legion of honor, "I owe my fortune to Monsieur
Vauquelin. I have the honor to present to your lordship Monsieur
le president of the Court of Commerce. This is Monsieur le Comte de
Lacepede, peer of France," he said to Joseph Lebas, who accompanied the
president.

The guests were punctual. The dinner, like all commercial dinners, was
extremely gay, full of good humor, and enlivened by the rough jests
which always raise a laugh. The excellence of the dishes and the
goodness of the wines were fully appreciated. It was half-past nine
o'clock when the company ret