Chapter 3 Summary

Madame Desforges, Mouret's lover, hosts a gathering of friends for tea, including many of the ladies who are Mouret's customers. Mouret hopes to meet one of her former lovers, Baron Hartmann, the director of the Crédit Immobilier. As the guests arrive, Mouret meets an old school friend, Paul Vallagnosc. They talk about what they have been doing since school. Madame Desforges introduces Mouret to the Baron. Mouret flatters him about the Crédit Immobilier and a new road being planned, secretly concerned about his plans for expansion at Au Bonheur des Dames. Mouret shares his business plan, being truthful about its precarious position, and seeking to establish a partnership with the Baron. The Baron resists at first, having already helped several of Madame Desforges' friends. Talking in a corner with the Baron, Mouret explains his business practices. Meanwhile, in the next room...