"Oh! a thousand thanks for your devotion to me! Waiter! waiter! our bill!" "Here it is, monsieur." "You pay for the dinner; that's all right; but as we are to stay here some little time perhaps, we must have something to keep us busy." "Order whatever you want." "Waiter, make us a nice little rum punch; it's excellent for the digestion; the English eat a great deal, but they drink punch at dessert, and they're all right. Would you like to play cards, to kill time?" "Thanks, it would be impossible for me to put my mind on the game." "I don't insist. I am rather fond of cards, but I don't carry that passion to excess. Pardieu! I don't say that I may not take a hand by and by at the Blanquette function. Did I tell you that I knew them? They're linen-drapers; that sort of people play rather high; but that doesn't frighten me. Ah! here's our punch! I divine it by the odor; the table is excellent at this house." Cherami lost no time in partaking of the punch. Gustave refused it at first, but finally consented to take a glass. The night had come; the lights were lighted on all sides. With the darkness, the unhappy lover's thoughts became more gloomy, his suffering more intense; he buried his face in his hands, muttering: "It's all over! O Fanny! Fanny! you will belong to another! Ah! I shall die of my grief!" "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?" "Oh! no, thanks, monsieur!" "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." The other bowl was brought. 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. XIV THE PUNCH PRODUCES ITS EFFECT "They are a long while coming back, those ladies!" muttered Gustave, coming and going from the room to the corridor.