I must do my uncle the justice of admitting that when he noticed the remarkable effect he had produced, he exhibited a slight gesture of surprise; which, however, soon passed off. Without calling any help, in four strides he reached the lady's side, and supported her against the table, raising up her pretty head which had fallen back, and slapping her hands. Then, having satisfied himself that she had completely lost consciousness, he began without any more ado to unfasten her dress, tore open her collar, and, with admirable dexterity, unhooked the upper part of her stays—thereby revealing to our gaze two charming globes, imprisoned in lace.
This spectacle, I avow, might have made any other man pause in his zealous operations,—not so my uncle, however; he did not think twice about it, but with his usual unconcerned air proceeded to open out the fair one's stays, then took up the water-bottle, and emptied it with one dash into the hollow between her rounded charms.
A convulsive start, and another scream, indicated immediately the successful effect of this triumphant measure.
"There!" he said to me, "you see that's all that was needed."
Just at this moment the gentleman who belonged to the lady came in. It is hardly necessary to add that when he saw my uncle occupied upon a business so distinctly his own, the new-comer evinced some temper.
"Bon Dieu!" he shouted out as he rushed forward, "What's the meaning of this? What's the meaning of this?"
"Nothing serious!" answered the pasha. "Your lady has simply been in a swoon, nothing more; it's all over now!"
"But what have you been about, sir? What do you mean by throwing water like that, right upon people's bosoms—?"
"It was all to do you a service," replied this saviour, quite composedly.
The lady, for her part, looked as if she was going off in another fit, but my uncle, judging no doubt that he had fulfilled his part of the duties, and without troubling himself any further about the mingled alarms and stares of the people of the house who came up, made one of his ceremonious bows to the whole company, and took me away with him, saying,