Georges presented the open case to Oscar and Schinner.

"Phew!" said the great painter; "ten-sous cigars!"

"The remains of those I brought back from Spain," said the adventurer.
"Do you breakfast here?"

"No," said the artist. "I am expected at the chateau. Besides, I took
something at the Lion d'Argent just before starting."

"And you?" said Georges to Oscar.

"I have breakfasted," replied Oscar.

Oscar would have given ten years of his life for boots and straps to
his trousers. He sneezed, he coughed, he spat, and swallowed the smoke
with ill-disguised grimaces.

"You don't know how to smoke," said Schinner; "look at me!"

With a motionless face Schinner breathed in the smoke of his cigar and
let it out through his nose without the slightest contraction of
feature. Then he took another whiff, kept the smoke in his throat,
removed the cigar from his lips, and allowed the smoke slowly and
gracefully to escape them.

"There, young man," said the great painter.

"Here, young man, here's another way; watch this," said Georges,