Mme. Roland appealed to the judgment of her elder son.
“And you, Pierre, what do you think of the matter?”
His nerves were in a state of such intense excitement that he would have liked to reply with an oath. However, he only answered in a dry tone quivering with annoyance.
“Oh, I am quite of Jean’s mind. I like nothing so well as simplicity, which, in matters of taste, is equivalent to rectitude in matters of conduct.”
His mother went on:
“You must remember that we live in a city of commercial men, where good taste is not to be met with at every turn.”
Pierre replied:
“What does that matter? Is that a reason for living as fools do? If my fellow-townsmen are stupid and ill-bred, need I follow their example? A woman does not misconduct herself because her neighbour has a lover.”
Jean began to laugh.
“You argue by comparisons which seem to have been borrowed from the maxims of a moralist.”