Meanwhile, as I felt my strength failing rapidly, I went up to my bed, undressed myself as fast as possible, and lay down. I shivered more and more. Catherine returned; the poor girl was nearly off her head: instead of bringing me a lump of sugar dipped in ether, she brought me a wineglassful of ether. When I say full, I should add that, by good fortune, her hand had trembled so much that the glass was no more than two-thirds full. She gave it to me. With more reason for my condition than she, I hardly knew what I was doing; I did not remember what it was I had asked her for, and was ignorant of the contents of the glass she held out to me, I carried it to my lips and swallowed a whole ounce of ether at a gulp. I felt as though I had swallowed the sword of the Avenging Angel! I heaved a sigh, closed my eyes, and my head fell back on the pillow. No chloroform ever produced a quicker result. From that moment and for two hours my unconsciousness lasted, I knew nothing at all; only, when I opened my eyes again, I was in a vapour bath which, by means of a pipe, my doctor was administering to me beneath my bedclothes, whilst a good neighbour was rubbing me on the top of the sheets with a warming-pan full of embers. I do not know what I shall feel like in hell, but I shall never even there be more nearly roasted than I was that night. I spent five or six days without being able to put a foot out of my bed; I was literally exhausted. Every day Harel's card was brought in; he was told, as was everybody else, that I could not see visitors. When I again opened my doors to people, the first thing I saw through the half-opened door was his smiling, clever face. "What about the cholera?" I asked. "It has departed!" "Are you sure of it?" "It did not pay its expenses.... Ah! my friend, what a capital time for launching a drama!" "Do you think so?" "There will be a reaction in favour of the theatres; besides, you saw what I put in the newspapers?" "Yes, about the places of entertainment not having had a single case of cholera in them.... My dear Harel, you are the cleverest man of the nineteenth century!" "Oh! not so!" "Why not?" "You can well see why not, since I cannot get you to write me a play." "In all conscience, am I in a fit state for doing it?" "You?..." He shrugged his shoulders. "I am possessed with all the devils of a fever." "They will give you an inspiration." "But, seriously, let me see what your play is about." "Well, I am going to tell you the truth." "Really?" "On my honour." "Harel! Harel! Harel!" "How stupid you are!" "You can see very well that I did not make you say it." "But if you make me say it; it only proves your cleverness, because you make me stupid." "Come, stop affectations! what were we saying?"