He dropped his cue on the floor.
"Excuse me, gentlemen, I'm not in the mood for billiards to-day,"
said he, "permit me to leave off. Waiter, bring me a bottle of
seltzer-water and a spoon--I must take my dose of Vichy salts."
"You should not take so much Vichy salts, Monsieur Alphonse, but
rather keep to a sensible diet," said the doctor, who sat a little
way off playing chess.
Alphonse laughed, and seated himself at the newspaper-table. He
seized the JOURNAL AMUSANT, and began to make merry remarks
upon the illustrations. A little circle quickly gathered
round him, and he was inexhaustible in racy stories and
whimsicalities.
While he rattled on under cover of the others' laughter, he poured
out a glass of seltzer-water and took from his pocket a little box
on which was written, in large letters, "Vichy Salts."
He shook the powder out into the glass and stirred it round with a
spoon. There was a little cigar-ash on the floor in front of his
chair; he whipped it off with his pocket-handkerchief, and then
stretched out his hand for the glass.
At that moment he felt a hand on his arm. Charles had risen and
hurried across the room he now bent down over Alphonse.
Alphonse turned his head towards him so that none but Charles
could see his face. At first he let his eyes travel furtively over
his old friend's figure; then he looked up, and, gazing straight
at Charles, he said, half aloud, "Charlie!"
It was long since Charles had heard that old pet name.
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