"I believe we do. Then shall we talk scandal?"
"About whom? Are we sufficiently interested in anybody to take a pleasure in pulling their character to pieces?"
"A question that comes to the point. For my part, unamiable as it sounds, I must say no."
"And I too. But it is strange, though we want no third--fourth, I mean (she hastily and with contrition glanced at Hortense), living person among us--so selfish we are in our happiness--though we don't want to think of the present existing world, it would be pleasant to go back to the past, to hear people that have slept for generations in graves that are perhaps no longer graves now, but gardens and fields, speak to us and tell us their thoughts, and impart their ideas."

"I believe we do. Then shall we talk scandal?"
"About whom? Are we sufficiently interested in anybody to take a pleasure in pulling their character to pieces?"
"For my part, I must say no."
"And I too. But it is strange, though we want no third - fourth, I mean (she hastily glanced at Hortense), living person here - it would be pleasant to go back to the past, to hear people of long gone generations speak to us and tell us their thoughts."
