Unfortunately, the young Russian had chosen to be as frivolous as Dorat, just where he ought to have been simple and intelligible; Julien could not discover the moral attitude which he was supposed to adopt at the Marechale's table.
Malheureusement, le jeune Russe avait voulu être léger comme Dorat, là où il eût fallu être simple et intelligible ; Julien ne put deviner la position morale qu’il devait occuper au dîner de la maréchale.