"Sehr gut! sehr gut! you haf all te qualidies to bleeze."
"Because I smoke? Why, my dear Brunzbrack, many people would call that a vice."
"Ach, ja! I say tat to you id pe most pecoming; you pe a she-pear——"
"A she-bear! Ha! ha! that can't be what you mean."
"Bardon—how do tey say?—an animal of te desert—te female of te king of animals."
"A lionne [lioness]; that is what you mean."
"Ja! you be te lionne à la mode; id is all te same."
I took a cigar, and the baron an ordinary pipe, and in a moment we were all smoking for dear life. Herr von Brunzbrack, whom the pipe seemed to make thirsty, emptied his glass very frequently and belauded the champagne; for my part, the malvoisie suited my taste exactly; and I had such an exquisite sense of well-being, seated at that table beside that original creature, who acted just like a man!
"Messieurs," she said, blowing a cloud of smoke at the ceiling, "life has some very pleasant moments."
"It is delicious to me just now."