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Chapter 19

           AtthesmalltableswhichwerearrangedabouttheroomsomethirtycustomersweredrinkingEnglishbeer,porter,gin,andbrandy;smoking,thewhile,longredclaypipesstuffedwithlittleballsofopiummingledwithessenceofrose.Fromtimetotimeoneofthesmokers,overcomewiththenarcotic,wouldslipunderthetable,whereuponthewaiters,takinghimbytheheadandfeet,carriedandlaidhimuponthebed.Thebedalreadysupportedtwentyofthesestupefiedsots.

           FixandPassepartoutsawthattheywereinasmoking-househauntedbythosewretched,cadaverous,idioticcreaturestowhomtheEnglishmerchantsselleveryyearthemiserabledrugcalledopium,totheamountofonemillionfourhundredthousandpoundsthousandsdevotedtooneofthemostdespicableviceswhichafflicthumanity!TheChinesegovernmenthasinvainattemptedtodealwiththeevilbystringentlaws.Itpassedgraduallyfromtherich,towhomitwasatfirstexclusivelyreserved,tothelowerclasses,andthenitsravagescouldnotbearrested.Opiumissmokedeverywhere,atalltimes,bymenandwomen,intheCelestialEmpire;and,onceaccustomedtoit,thevictimscannotdispensewithit,exceptbysufferinghorriblebodilycontortionsandagonies.Agreatsmokercansmokeasmanyaseightpipesaday;buthediesinfiveyears.ItwasinoneofthesedensthatFixandPassepartout,insearchofafriendlyglass,foundthemselves.Passepartouthadnomoney,butwillinglyacceptedFix’sinvitationinthehopeofreturningtheobligationatsomefuturetime.

           Theyorderedtwobottlesofport,towhichtheFrenchmandidamplejustice,whilstFixobservedhimwithcloseattention.Theychattedaboutthejourney,andPassepartoutwasespeciallymerryattheideathatFixwasgoingtocontinueitwiththem.Whenthebottleswereempty,however,herosetogoandtellhismasterofthechangeinthetimeofthesailingoftheCarnatic.

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