Le Mesge and the pastor were now engaged in the most extraordinary
religious controversy, throwing at each other's heads the Book of
Common Prayer, The Declaration of the Rights of Man, and the
Unigenitus. Little by little, the Hetman began to show that ascendancy
over them, which is the characteristic of a man of the world even when
he is thoroughly drunk; the superiority of education over instruction.
Count Bielowsky had drunk five times as much as the Professor or the
pastor. But he carried his wine ten times better.
"Let us leave these drunken fellows," he said with disgust. "Come on,
old man. Our partners are waiting in the gaming room."
"Ladies and gentlemen," said the Hetman as we entered. "Permit me to
present a new player to you, my friend, Lieutenant de Saint-Avit."
"Let it go at that," he murmured in my ear. "They are the servants.
But I like to fool myself, you see."