1834 Les Miserables
While they were busy with their first oysters, a head
appeared at the hatchway of the staircase, and a voice
said:—
‘I am passing by. I smell from the street a delicious odor
of Brie cheese. I enter.’ It was Grantaire.
Grantaire took a stool and drew up to the table.
At the sight of Grantaire, Gibelotte placed two bottles of
wine on the table.
That made three.
‘Are you going to drink those two bottles?’ Laigle in-
quired of Grantaire.
Grantaire replied:—
‘All are ingenious, thou alone art ingenuous. Two bottles
never yet astonished a man.’
The others had begun by eating, Grantaire began by
drinking. Half a bottle was rapidly gulped down.
‘So you have a hole in your stomach?’ began Laigle
again.
‘You have one in your elbow,’ said Grantaire.
And after having emptied his glass, he added:—
‘Ah, by the way, Laigle of the funeral oration, your coat
is old.’
‘I should hope so,’ retorted Laigle. ‘That’s why we get on
well together, my coat and I. It has acquired all my folds, it
does not bind me anywhere, it is moulded on my deformi-
ties, it falls in with all my movements, I am only conscious
of it because it keeps me warm. Old coats are just like old
f riends.’
‘That’s true,’ ejaculated Joly, striking into the dialogue,