Eponine looked happier than he had ever seen her. If this WAS real, Combeferre would have to step aside, for her sake. As it was though, he stepped closer, giving Marius a little nod as he reached over to clasp his shoulder, thinking that a decent way to test things while he spoke.

"Do you know, Marius, I do not believe I've ever quite gotten past your Bonapartism. That gave us a rough time the last time you were here." It seemed a simple enough conversation to have with Marius, at first, but there were also ways to feel him out and catch him in a lie as well.

"I suppose my comments on the Empress Josephine when we first met were rather uncalled for then, as well...what exactly did I say again? I know it quite upset you at the time." He lied swiftly, hoping to be corrected on the point of their first conversation, which had gone, well, rather differently. As far as Combeferre knew, 'Etre Libre were not exactly an insult to an Empress after all. If Marius agreed, well, that was going to be different.