Meanwhile a
young man near Georges, having evinced a desire to kiss Lea de Horn,
received a sharp rap, accompanied by a "Look here, you, let me go!"
which was spoken in a tone of fine indignation; and Georges, who was
now very tipsy and greatly excited by the sight of Nana, hesitated about
carrying out a project which he had been gravely maturing. He had been
planning, indeed, to get under the table on all fours and to go and
crouch at Nana's feet like a little dog. Nobody would have seen him, and
he would have stayed there in the quietest way. But when at Lea's urgent
request Daguenet had told the young man to sit still, Georges all at
once felt grievously chagrined, as though the reproof had just been
leveled at him. Oh, it was all silly and slow, and there was nothing
worth living for! Daguenet, nevertheless, began chaffing and obliged him
to swallow a big glassful of water, asking him at the same time what
he would do if he were to find himself alone with a woman, seeing that
three glasses of champagne were able to bowl him over.
"Why, in Havana," resumed Foucarmont, "they make a spirit with a certain
wild berry; you think you're swallowing fire! Well now, one evening I
drank more than a liter of it, and it didn't hurt me one bit.
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