Combeferre's own lip curls in disgust as he finishes reading the paragraph on Enjolras. He is not happy with Hugo's description of his friend. The parts that are not wholly superficial are, Combeferre feels, rather one-sided.
Next comes his own description, which he finds excessively flattering, and also rather strange--an angel with the wings of a swan? Was Hugo drunk?
At Courfeyrac's description, Combeferre takes a moment to look up this "Tholomyès" character, and then clenches his jaw. "How dare Hugo compare Courfeyrac to this Tholomyès," Combeferre says aloud. "I know he's only doing it to contrast them, but nevertheless--this other fellow isn't even superficially similar! He isn't even witty."
The others aren't so bad. Bahorel's is verging on inspired, actually. Combeferre looks around Bahorel's rooms, which had struck him as extremely red when he walked in. Now he sees the wall paintings, most of which are either unintelligible or obscene-masquerading-as-classical. Combeferre looks at Bahorel. "Your work?" He gestures at a particularly well-endowed satyr.
He turns back to the book, and then arrives at Grantaire's description. "Well," he says, looking at Bahorel again. "Has Grantaire seen this?"
He knows Enjolras hasn't, or else Enjolras would have told Combeferre, as Combeferre will tell him. But Combeferre already knows that when he does, he will also suggest that Enjolras need not read this book himself.
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Next comes his own description, which he finds excessively flattering, and also rather strange--an angel with the wings of a swan? Was Hugo drunk?
At Courfeyrac's description, Combeferre takes a moment to look up this "Tholomyès" character, and then clenches his jaw. "How dare Hugo compare Courfeyrac to this Tholomyès," Combeferre says aloud. "I know he's only doing it to contrast them, but nevertheless--this other fellow isn't even superficially similar! He isn't even witty."
The others aren't so bad. Bahorel's is verging on inspired, actually. Combeferre looks around Bahorel's rooms, which had struck him as extremely red when he walked in. Now he sees the wall paintings, most of which are either unintelligible or obscene-masquerading-as-classical. Combeferre looks at Bahorel. "Your work?" He gestures at a particularly well-endowed satyr.
He turns back to the book, and then arrives at Grantaire's description. "Well," he says, looking at Bahorel again. "Has Grantaire seen this?"
He knows Enjolras hasn't, or else Enjolras would have told Combeferre, as Combeferre will tell him. But Combeferre already knows that when he does, he will also suggest that Enjolras need not read this book himself.