“A mad desire seized me to take part in this merrymaking, and I left my companions.  I must admit that I was probably a little tipsy, but I was soon entirely so.

“I grabbed the hand of a big, panting peasant woman and I jumped her about until I was out of breath.

“Then I drank some wine and reached for another girl.  In order to refresh myself afterward, I swallowed a bowlful of cider, and I began to bounce around as if possessed.

“I was very light on my feet.  The boys, delighted, were watching me and trying to imitate me; the girls all wished to dance with me, and jumped about heavily with the grace of cows.

“After each dance I drank a glass of wine or a glass of cider, and toward two o’clock in the morning I was so drunk that I could hardly stand up.

“I realized my condition and tried to reach my room.  Everybody was asleep and the house was silent and dark.

“I had no matches and everybody was in bed.  As soon as I reached the vestibule I began to, feel dizzy.  I had a lot of trouble to find the banister.  At last, by accident, my hand came in contact with it, and I sat down on the first step of the stairs in order to try to gather my scattered wits.

“My room was on the second floor; it was the third door to the left.  Fortunately I had not forgotten that.  Armed with this knowledge, I arose, not without difficulty, and I began to ascend, step by step.  In my hands I firmly gripped the iron railing in order not to fall, and took great pains to make no noise.

“Only three or four times did my foot miss the steps, and I went down on my knees; but thanks to the energy of my arms and the strength of my will, I avoided falling completely.

“At last I reached the second floor and I set out in my journey along the hall, feeling my way by the walls.  I felt one door; I counted:  ‘One’; but a sudden dizziness made me lose my hold on the wall, make a strange turn and fall up against the other wall.  I wished to turn in a straight line:  The crossing was long and full of hardships.  At last I reached the shore, and, prudently, I began to travel along again until I met another door.  In order to be sure to make no mistake, I again counted out loud:  ‘Two.’  I started out on my walk again.  At last I found the third door.  I said:  ‘Three, that’s my room,’ and I turned the knob.  The door opened.  Notwithstanding my befuddled state, I thought:  ’Since the door opens, this must be home.’  After softly closing the door, I stepped out in the darkness.  I bumped against something soft:  my easy-chair.  I immediately stretched myself out on it.

“In my condition it would not have been wise to look for my bureau, my candles, my matches.  It would have taken me at least two hours.  It would probably have taken me that long also to undress; and even then I might not have succeeded.  I gave it up.

“I only took my shoes off; I unbuttoned my waistcoat, which was choking me, I loosened my trousers and went to sleep.