You must have been taking hashish." "Alas!" said Rodolphe, "I have not been taking anything at all." And he left his friend on the banks of the Red Sea.
From noon to four o'clock Rodolphe successively steered for every house of his acquaintance.

He went through the forty eight districts of Paris, and covered about eight leagues, but without any success.

The influence of the 15th of April made itself feel with equal severity everywhere.
However, dinner time was drawing near.

But it scarcely appeared that dinner was likely to follow its example, and it seemed to Rodolphe that he was on the raft of the wrecked Medusa.
As he was crossing the Pont Neuf an idea all at once occurred to him.
"Oh! oh!" said he to himself, retracing his steps, "the 15th of April.
But I have an invitation to dinner for today." And fumbling in his pocket, he drew out a printed ticket, running as follows: +------------------------------------------------------+ | | | Barriere de la Villette, | | Au Grand Vainqueur.

| | Dining Room to seat 300 people.