"Why, my dear fellow, they were drunk! You must forgive them."
"They will simply get drunk again!"
"But you won’t employ them every day distributing provisions and entertaining the peasants!"
"No! God forbid!"
"You chose to begin on a large scale; one must pay for one’s apprenticeship in everything."
"Good-night, Monsieur Jules," said Edouard.
"Good-night, Monsieur de la Roche-Noire," said Alfred, following Edouard from the room.
Robineau was left alone. It was nearly midnight; his bedroom was lighted only by a single candle and three-fourths of it was in darkness. Robineau called François to help him to undress, and ordered him to sleep in the adjoining room, so that he might come to him at once if he should call.
At last Robineau climbed into bed, after placing a lamp by the bedside. The man of Clermont-Ferrand recurred to his mind. His bedroom began to seem too large; the hangings to be very gloomy, and Susannah’s face, which he had admired in the morning, frightened him at night. He was no longer so much in love with the antique, and he did not go to sleep until he had determined to begin on the morrow to give a more modern aspect to his domain.