Gaillard went on with his rehearsal. The tall gendarme drank twice as much wine as his stout companion, who was now rolling on the floor with shouts of laughter.
Finally, when the merry fellow could laugh no more, and the last drop of wine had disappeared, the tall gendarme stooped, and lifting his fallen companion to his feet leaned him up against the wall. "Jean," he said, "thou art drunk. Shame upon thee." Then he turned toward Gaillard. "Come, citizen actor, we must take you to the Luxembourg."
"Let us at least smoke a pipe of tobacco before we go," said Gaillard, bringing out smoking materials from the closet.
"No time, citizen; as it is we may get in trouble through Jean's indulgence in the bottle." The short gendarme certainly showed the effect of the wine he had taken, though he straightened up and denied it.
"Pierre, thou liest, thou hast taken twice the quantity I have," he rejoined, waving his hand toward the empty bottles.
This also was true; and Gaillard looked with wonder at the solemn countenance of the tall gendarme.
"In any case, let us light our pipes and smoke them as we go along the street," said the actor as he filled the pipes and handed one to each of the police officers.
"I'm quite agreeable to that," said Gendarme Pierre.
Gendarme Jean made no reply, but endeavored to light his pipe over the flame of the candle.
Through a defect in vision occasioned by his potations, he held the bowl several inches away from the flame and puffed vigorously.