Honoré Panisse is dying, cheerfully, with friends, wife, and son at his side He confesses to the priest in front of his friends he insists that the doctor be truthful But, he cannot bring himself to tell his son Cesariot that his real father is Marius, the absent son of César, Cesariot s godfather Panisse leaves that to Fanny, the lad s mother Dissembling that he s off to