The Parisians — Volume 06

In a glittering Paris salon, a small but distinguished party gathers for supper at the Maison Dorée. Host Frederic Lemercier invites an eclectic mix—aristocrats Alain de Rochebriant and Enguerrand de Vandemar, the portraitist Henri Bernard, the Vicomte de Braze, financier Duplessis, and the witty physician Dr. Bacourt. A freshly returned colonel from Algiers adds martial flair, while writer Savarin completes the circle. The room hums with the clink of glasses and the promise of lively debate.

The conversation quickly moves to the curious link between national character and the beverages that shape it. Savarin claims French wine fuels imagination, English beer dulls vigor, and German wine‑and‑tobacco mixes forge patient resolve. The colonel fires back, defending his comrades with a grin. Their banter, full of anecdotes and aristocratic swagger, offers a snapshot of Parisian wit, rivalry, and the spirited clink of champagne that defines the era’s salons.