"Rue—parbleu! Rue Fontaine-Saint-Georges; number 21 or 24—it's in the twenties."
"Infinitely obliged."
"Au revoir, my dear friend! I'm going to the Café Turc for a game of billiards; I feel in condition to make fifteen cannons in succession."
"Much pleasure to you."
And Roncherolle walked away, saying:
"I know her address at last! To-morrow I will carry her a bouquet myself."
XXXI
THE EFFECTS OF TIME
But our plans are traced on sand; and then too, sad as it is to admit it, champagne is not really good for the gout.
On the day following that dinner party, during which Roncherolle had given instruction in such pleasant matters, instead of going as he hoped to pay a visit to the Baronne de Grangeville, he was obliged to keep his bed; his gout had returned, more obstinate and more painful than ever; the poor invalid lost his temper, complained, swore like one possessed, because it seemed to him that that relieved him; and finally he said to himself:
"I won't give any more lessons in drinking champagne."