h to make me drink to-day especially?

"No, Lorand. You know I am bound by a promise not to drink wine, and a
man of honor always keeps his promises, however absurd."

I shall never forget the look which Lorand gave me at these words.

"You are right, old fellow:" and he grasped my hand. "A man of honor
keeps his promises, however absurd...."

And as he said so, he was so serious, he gazed with such alarming
coldness into the eyes of Gyali, who sat next to him. But Pepi merely
smiled. He could smile so tenderly with those handsome girlish round
lips of his.

Lorand patted him on the shoulder.

"Do you hear, Pepi? My brother refused to drink wine, because a man of
honor keeps his promises. You are right, Desi. Let him who says
something keep his word."

Then the banquet began.

It is a peculiar study for an abstainer to look on at a midnight
carousal, with a perfectly sober head, and to be the only audience and
critic at this "divina comedia" where everyone acts unwittingly.

The first act commenced with the toasts. He to whom God had given
rhetorical talent raises his glass, begs for silence,--which at first he
receives and later not receiving tries to assure for himself by his
stentorian voice;--and with a very serious face, utters very serious
phrases:--one is a master of grace, another of pathos: a third quotes
from the classics, a fourth humorizes, and himself laughs at his
success, while everybody finishes the scene with clinking of glasses,
and embraces, to the accompaniment of clarion "hurrahs."

Later come more fiery declamations, general outbursts of patriotic
bitterness. Brains become more heated, everyone sits upon his favorite
hobby-horse, and makes it leap beneath him; the socialist, the artist,
the landlord, the champion of order, everyone begins to speak of his own
particular theme--without keeping to the strict rules of conversation
that one waits until the other has finished: rather they all talk at
once, one interrupting the other, until finally he who has commenced
some thrilling refrain hands over the leadership to all: the song
becomes general, and each one is convinced from hearing his own vocal
powers, that nowhere on earth can more lovely singing be heard.

And meantime the table becomes covered with empty bottles.

Then the paroxysm grows by degrees to a climax. He who previously
delivered an oration now babbles, comes to a standstill, and, cuts short
his discomfiture by swearing;