they had never tasted before. They pronounced it to be very
like lemonade, though, on the whole, more refined.

"What a pity there is no piano," said Loiseau as a crowning point to the
situation, "we might have finished up with a little hop."

Cornudet had not uttered a word, nor made a sign of joining in the
general hilarity; he was apparently plunged in the gravest abstractions,
only pulling viciously at his great beard from time to time as if to
draw it out longer than before. At last, about midnight, when the
company was preparing to separate, Loiseau came hiccoughing over to
him, and digging him in the ribs: "You seem rather down in the mouth
this evening, citizen--haven't said a word."

Cornudet threw up his head angrily, and sweeping the company with a
flashing and terrible look: "I tell you all that what you have done
to-day is an infamy!"

He rose, made his way to the door, exclaimed once again, "An infamy!"
and vanished.

This somewhat dashed their spirits for the moment. Loiseau, nonplussed
at first, soon regained his aplomb and burst into a roar of laughter.
"Sour grapes, old man--sour grapes!"

The others not understanding the allusion, he proceeded to relate the
"mysteries of the corridor." This was followed by an uproarious revival
of gayety. The ladies were in a frenzy of delight, the Count and
Monsieur Carre-Lamadon laughed till they cried. They could not believe
it.

"Do you mean to say he wanted--"

"I tell you I saw it with my own eyes."

"And she refused?"

"Because the Prussian was in the next room."

"It is incredible."

"As true as I stand here!"

The Count nearly choked; the manufacturer held both his sides.

"And you can understand that he does not quite see the joke of the thing
this evening--oh, no--not at all!"

And they all three went off again, breathless, choking, sick with
laughter.

After that they parted for the night. But Madame Loiseau remarked to her
husband when they were alone that that little cat of a Carre-Lamadon
had laughed on the wrong side of her mouth all the evening. "You know
how it is with these women--they dote upon a uniform, and whether it is
French or Prussian matters precious little to them. But, Lord--it seems
to me a poor way of looking at things."

Apparently nobody got much sleep that night, for it was long before the
lights ceased to shine under the doors. Champagne, they say, often has
that disturbing effect; it makes one restless and w