he had taken a part, and an animated one, in the noisy conversation of the company; but his animation was clearly the outcome of fever. his talk was almost incoherent; he would break off in the middle of a sentence which he had begun with great interest, and forget what he had been saying. the prince discovered to his dismay that hippolyte had been allowed to drink two large glasses of champagne; the one now standing by him being the third. all this he found out afterwards; at the moment he did not notice anything, very particularly.