Laughing Torso

BACK TO PARIS AND CELEBRITIES
that one loses all sense of time and space. It takes
about a hundred years to cross quite a narrow street
and, as Maurice Richardson pointed out when I
told him the story, probably a hundred years to
order a drink. The first effect is a violent attack of
giggles. One screams with laughter for no reason
whatever, even at a fly walking on the ceiling. The
Irishman went through all the stages and finally
decided to go home. He had to walk across Paris
and cross the river by Notre Dame. When he
reached it he found that it was at least a mile high,
and, giving it one despairing look, sat down on the
quays to wait till its size had diminished. He had
to wait for some time, but finally he decided that it
had grown small enough for him to continue his
walk home. The Countess had asked Growley to
dinner, and he appeared in what he considered to be
suitable evening clothes. He wore black silk knee
breeches, a tight-fitting black coat, black silk stock-
ings, and shoes with buckles on them. The coat had
a high black collar with a narrow white strip at the
top* On his chest he wore a jewelled order and at
his side he carried a sword. I asked him what the
order was; He said, " The Order of the Holy Ghost,
my dear.55 We went to our friend's flat after dinner,
He had a large pot on the floor which contained
hashish in the form of jam. On the table were some
pipes, as one smoked or ate it, or did both. I tasted
a spoonful, swallowed it, and waited, but nothing
happened. The others got to work seriously and
smoked and ate the jam. I felt no effect except that
I was very happy, much more happy than if I had
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