AtthesametableswhichwerearrangedabouttheroomsomethirtycustomersweredrinkingEnglishbeer，porter，ginandbrandy；smoking，thewhile，longredclaypipesstuffedwithlittleballsofopiummingledwithessenceofrose。Fromtimetotimeoneofthesmokers，overcomewiththenarcotic，wouldslipunderthetable，whereuponthewaiters，takinghimbytheheadandfeet，carriedandlaidhimuponthebed。Thebedalreadysupportedtwentyofthesestupefiedsots。
FixandPassepartoutsawthattheywereinasmoking-househauntedbythosewretched，cadaverous，idioticcreatures，towhomtheEnglishmerchantsselleveryyearthemiserabledrugcalledopium，totheamountofonemillionfourhundredthousandpounds-thousandsdevotedtooneofthemostdespicableviceswhichafflicthumanity！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，herosetogoandtellhismasterofthechangeinthetimeofthesailingofthe`Carnatic\'。
Fixcaughthimbythearm，andsaid，`Waitamoment。\'