Suddenly the whole company went into a state of mad excitement. Human beings always respond in that way to the mysterious influence of a fresh and dominant personality, who, with a word, a gesture, a shout, turns a solemn and bored gathering into an almost Bacchanalian party. It seemed that all the people in the room had only awaited the arrival of Gypo to abandon themselves completely to an orgy of mad behaviour. Shouts, shrieks, smacking kisses, laughter, mingled chaotically in the warm air of the room. Each of the men vied with his neighbours in an exaggerated attempt to make a fool of himself. A young man with an innocent, red face and beautiful grey eyes, a student, stood up precariously in front of the fire, laughing incontinently and began to strip himself naked. Another man, a big fellow, seized a girl in his arms, tumbled with her to the floor and lay there shouting and trying to kiss her, while she struggled to free her loosened hair from beneath his shoulder. Gypo picked up two women and perched them one on each shoulder. Then he seized two others round the waist, raised them from the ground under his arms and began to jump into the air, yelling like a bull with each jump, while his fluttering, half-naked cargo of women laughed hysterically as they dangled about him. This amazing scene lasted fully a quarter of an hour and then ended suddenly. Everybody seemed to be exhausted. It was only then that Aunt Betty’s voice was heard above the uproar. “Do ye want to get me run in be the police?” she cried. “It’s all right, mother,” said Gypo, going up to her and putting his arm around her waist. “Yer a nice girl. I’ll keep order here for ye. Now who is kickin’ up a row? The next fellah that speaks above a whisper I’ll open his skull for him.” “Would you, though?” cried the young man who was stripping himself naked. He stood in front of the fire in his trousers and underwear with his shirt in his hand. “I’ll teach you manners, my good fellow,” he continued, pulling up his trousers and brandishing his shirt. “Come on. I’ll teach you how to behave yourself in the presence of gentlemen.”