"So much the better! That's my natural color coming back. Just put the bottle in the carriage; I will finish it while I do my errands."
The count swallowed his fifth glass of chartreuse, made a demi-pirouette, and almost fell, because he was very dizzy; but his valet held him up, and he finally succeeded, after much bumping against walls, in reaching his carriage, into which he threw himself, saying:
"Deuce take me! I believe I am quite capable of climbing a greased pole!"
The day was passed by the future bridegroom in visiting emporiums of jewelry, laces, and shawls; he gave his orders, and from the multitude of those pretty trifles which are said to be necessaries of life, and with which ladies adorn their whatnots, he made a selection well calculated to flatter her who was to bear his name. This took a great deal of time, but he found leisure to finish the bottle he had brought with him; he had an unfamiliar burning sensation in his breast; he was tremendously thirsty, and said to himself:
"I will drink seltzer with my dinner."
About five o'clock, as he was leaving a famous fancy-goods shop, he spied his two seconds, Messieurs de Maugrillé and de Gervier, coming toward him arm in arm. He went forward eagerly to meet them.
"Good afternoon, messieurs! Where are you going?"
"Why, we are going to dine."
"With friends?"
"No; at the first restaurant we see, provided that it's a good one."