ThemoreclearlyChristophesawintothevatofideasinwhichParisianartwasfermenting, , itrenouncesitswill, itsfaith, thewholeessenceofitsbeing, : butwomenmakemen,—(exceptwhentheytamperwiththeworkofthemen, ashappenedinFranceatthattime):—: butfortheordinarymen, inagesofwearinessandfatigue, thereis, assomeonehassaid, anotherFeminine, justaseternal, , theQueenoftheRepublic.

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ChristophecloselyobservedtheParisianwomenatthehousesatwhichSylvainKohn', hegeneralizedfreelyandunsparinglyaboutFrenchwomenfromthetwoorthreetypeshehadmet: youngwomen, notverytall, andnotatallfresh, withneatfigures, dyedhair, largehatsontheirprettyheadsthatwerealittletoolargefortheirbodies: theyhadtrimfeatures, buttheirfaceswerejustalittletoofleshy: goodnoses, vulgarsometimes, characterlessalways: quickeyeswithoutanygreatdepth, whichtheytriedtomakeasbrilliantandlargeaspossible: well-cutlipsthatwereperfectlyundercontrol: plumplittlechins; andthelowerpartoftheirfacesrevealedtheiruttermaterialism; theywereelegantlittlecreatureswho, amidalltheirpreoccupationswithloveandintrigue, , , orwantingtobeso, togetherwithallthetraditionsofherclass; prudence, economy, coldness, practicalcommonsense, , , , —andwatchotherwomen—inamirror, nearorfar, nottomention, atteaordinner, thespoons, knives, silvercoffeepots, polishedandshining, inwhichtheyalwayspeepedatthereflectionsoftheirfaces, : drinkingwateranddeprivingthemselvesaltogetherofanyfoodthatmightstandinthewayoftheiridealofacomplexionofaflourywhiteness.