seven o’clock
She and her husband had a taste for gastronomical curiosities from the four corners of the world . On this occasion they decided to have some ox-tail soup , grilled mullet , undercut of beef with mushrooms , _ raviolis _ in the Italian fashion , hazel-hens from Russia , and a salad of truffles , without counting caviare and _ kilkis _ as side-dishes , a _ glace pralinee _ , and a little emerald-coloured Hungarian cheese , with fruit and pastry . As wine , some old Bordeaux claret in decanters , chambertin with the roast , and sparkling moselle at dessert , in lieu of champagne , which was voted commonplace . At seven o'clock Sandoz and Henriette were waiting for their guests , he simply wearing a jacket , and she looking very elegant in a plain dress of black satin . People dined at their house in frock-coats , without any fuss . The drawing-room , the arrangements of which they were now completing , was becoming crowded with old furniture , old tapestry , nick-nacks of all countries and all times -- a rising and now overflowing stream of things which had taken source at Batignolles with an old pot of Rouen ware , which Henriette had given her husband on one of his fete days . They ran about to the curiosity shops together ; a joyful passion for buying possessed them .