"Sapristi!" said Cherami to himself, swallowing several glasses of punch in rapid succession; "this youngster is very lachrymose; he isn't lively in his cups. With me, it's different; I feel in the mood to dance at all the wedding parties, and to play cards too--only I shall have to borrow a few napoleons from my new friend, in order to be able to tempt fortune. I have an idea that I shall have a vein of luck! I say, my dear friend, aren't we drinking any more?"
"Then I will drink for both of us. This punch is too sweet! Here, waiter, put in more rum, a lot of it!"
"But, monsieur, there's no more punch in the bowl."
"Well! then make another bowl, but make it stronger."
After drinking two more glasses, Cherami tried to rise, but was obliged to hold on to the table to keep from falling; however, although he felt that his legs were wavering under him, he determined to maintain his dignity, and did his best to keep his balance as he walked toward the door.
"They are a long while coming back, those ladies!" muttered Gustave, coming and going from the room to the corridor.
"Oh! my dear fellow, when a woman's at her toilet, one can never be sure how long a time she'll spend over it. One day, I remember, in the time of my splendor, I was waiting for my mistress, to go to the theatre, to see a new play. I believe it was at the Opéra-Comique--but, no matter. She had finally got dressed,--it had taken her a long while,--when, happening to look in the mirror, she cried: 'My wreath of blue-bottles is too far down on my forehead--I must change it--it's just a matter of putting in a pin.'--'All right,' said I; 'put in your pin. I'll wait'--My dear fellow, that pin, and all the others that she put in after it, took an hour and a half! and when we reached the theatre, the new play was over."
Observing that his young companion had fallen into abstraction once more, and was paying no heed to him, Cherami decided to leave the private room and try his fortunes in the corridor, saying to himself:
"I feel the need of a little fresh air; it's as hot as the tropics in these private dining-rooms. Ah! what do I see yonder? Ladies--many ladies. I must go and cast an eye in that direction. The fair sex attracts me--it's my magnet."