The day was passed by the future bridegroom in visiting emporiums of jewelry, laces, and shawls; he gave his orders, and from the multitude of those pretty trifles which are said to be necessaries of life, and with which ladies adorn their whatnots, he made a selection well calculated to flatter her who was to bear his name. This took a great deal of time, but he found leisure to finish the bottle he had brought with him; he had an unfamiliar burning sensation in his breast; he was tremendously thirsty, and said to himself: "I will drink seltzer with my dinner." About five o'clock, as he was leaving a famous fancy-goods shop, he spied his two seconds, Messieurs de Maugrille and de Gervier, coming toward him arm in arm. He went forward eagerly to meet them. "Good afternoon, messieurs! Where are you going?" "Why, we are going to dine." "With friends?" "No; at the first restaurant we see, provided that it's a good one." "Then you will give me the pleasure of dining with me; we will celebrate my recovery and my approaching marriage." "So be it." "Get into my carriage; we can sit close together. I will take you to Philippe's; will that suit you?" "Perfectly; one can dine very well there." They entered the carriage. As they drove along, Monsieur de Maugrille glanced very often at the count. Finally, he said to him: "Are you completely cured?" "As you see." "Your face seems to me very much flushed; your eyes gleam with supernatural brilliancy." "That's the result of the medicine I have been taking; a very agreeable remedy, I give you my word." "Something that your doctor prescribed?" "No; I got it from my opponent, Monsieur Cherami." "Your opponent! You have seen him again?" "To be sure; we are the best of friends. He's a hot-head, but a very good fellow." "Did you ask him who those two Mohicans were who acted as his seconds?" "Yes; one was a rich landed proprietor of Auvergne, who sends water here from Mont-Dore; the other was his clerk." "Ah, yes! the so-called Pole, Monsieur de Chamousky. I shall know those two worthies again." They arrived at Philippe's. The count ordered a dainty dinner, with wines of the finest vintages; and as he felt very thirsty, he deemed it advisable to begin with champagne frappe. His guests celebrated the count's recovery, and drank to his future bride; Monsieur de Gervier, who was in very high spirits, insisted on drinking to Cherami's seconds, whom he felt sure of meeting some day, when he proposed to buy some Mont-Dore water of them. The count did not spare himself, but tossed off glass after glass of champagne, crying: "This is the end of my bachelor life!" "Be careful, my dear De la Beriniere," said Monsieur de Maugrille; "for a convalescent, you go rather fast; you don't spare yourself at all." "I have never felt so well." Suddenly Monsieur de Gervier, who had gone to the window for a breath of air, burst into a roar of Homeric laughter, and shouted: