"That is only fair."
"Otherwise," sneered Jéricourt, "one might think that you invited monsieur to dinner for the sole purpose of learning to drink."
"And if that were so," rejoined Roncherolle, "I should not bear my neighbor a grudge; that would prove that I am still good for something, and one so often entertains people who are good for nothing!"
"The second way, my dear fellow, the second way!" said Zizi, with a playful tap on Roncherolle's cheek.
"At your service, belle dame.—Look—this glass is full; I put it on this plate, and the point is to drain it without touching it with the hands or spilling a drop."
"Oh! that must be extremely difficult—I will go farther and say that it seems to me impossible," said Saint-Arthur.
"Not at all—look."
Roncherolle took the plate on which the glass stood, lifted it, put the glass to his lips, then tipped it toward his mouth, still holding it steady with the plate, and swallowed all it contained.
"Ah! charming, delightful!" cried Alfred.
"I have seen that done before, but I had forgotten it," said Zizi; "wait; I believe that I can do it."