{"id":"01KG6YH1XC2N2HCYZBM6MZ0S0B","cid":"bafkreih233kjyy33kq3bind7rsvatpcrp7vzjz6wamudobailxgaqrbxvq","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":3658,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T07:57:45.581Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 5","source_file":"01KG6YDD8GKW0DRD5H2MY1NRZ7","start_line":3598,"text":"a sort of pell-mell, indiscriminate affair, quite baffling to detail\r\nin all particulars. Thus, I spoke of taking a glass of claret, and a\r\nglass of sherry, and a glass of port, and a mug of ale--all at certain\r\nspecific periods and times. But those were merely the state bumpers,\r\nso to speak. Innumerable impromptu glasses were drained between the\r\nperiods of those grand imposing ones.\r\n\r\nThe nine bachelors seemed to have the most tender concern for each\r\nother's health. All the time, in flowing wine, they most earnestly\r\nexpressed their sincerest wishes for the entire well-being and lasting\r\nhygiene of the gentlemen on the right and on the left. I noticed that\r\nwhen one of these kind bachelors desired a little more wine (just for\r\nhis stomach's sake, like Timothy), he would not help himself to it\r\nunless some other bachelor would join him. It seemed held something\r\nindelicate, selfish and unfraternal to be seen taking a lonely,\r\nunparticipated glass. Meantime, as the wine ran apace, the spirits of\r\nthe company grew more and more to perfect genialness and unconstraint.\r\nThey related all sorts of pleasant stories. Choice experiences in their\r\nprivate lives were now brought out, like choice brands of Moselle or\r\nRhenish, only kept for particular company. One told us how mellowly he\r\nlived when a student at Oxford; with various spicy anecdotes of most\r\nfrank-hearted noble lords, his liberal companions. Another bachelor, a\r\ngray-headed man, with a sunny face, who, by his own account, embraced\r\nevery opportunity of leisure to cross over into the Low Countries,\r\non sudden tours of inspection of the fine old Flemish architecture\r\nthere--this learned, white-haired, sunny-faced old bachelor,\r\nexcelled in his descriptions of the elaborate splendors of those old\r\nguild-halls, town-halls, and stadhold-houses, to be seen in the land\r\nof the ancient Flemings. A third was a great frequenter of the British\r\nMuseum, and knew all about scores of wonderful antiquities, of Oriental\r\nmanuscripts, and costly books without a duplicate. A fourth had lately\r\nreturned from a trip to Old Granada, and, of course, was full of\r\nSaracenic scenery. A fifth had a funny case in law to tell. A sixth\r\nwas erudite in wines. A seventh had a strange characteristic anecdote\r\nof the private life of the Iron Duke, never printed, and never before\r\nannounced in any public or private company. An eighth had lately been\r\namusing his evening, now and then, with translating a comic poem of\r\nPulci's. He quoted for us the more amusing passages.\r\n\r\nAnd so the evening slipped along, the hours told, not by a water-clock,\r\nlike King Alfred's but a wine-chronometer. Meantime the table seemed\r\na sort of Epsom Heath; a regular ring, where the decanters galloped\r\nround. For fear one decanter should not with sufficient speed reach\r\nhis destination, another was sent express after him to hurry him; and\r\nthen a third to hurry the second; and so on with a fourth and fifth.\r\nAnd throughout all this nothing loud, nothing unmannerly, nothing\r\nturbulent. I am quite sure, from the scrupulous gravity and austerity\r\nof his air, that had Socrates, the field marshal, perceived aught of\r\nindecorum in the company he served, he would have forthwith departed\r\nwithout giving warning. I afterward learned that during the repast,\r\nan invalid bachelor in an adjoining chamber enjoyed his first sound\r\nrefreshing slumber in three long weary weeks.\r\n\r\nIt was the very perfection of quiet absorption of good living, good\r\ndrinking, good feeling, and good talk. We were a band of brothers.\r\nComfort--fraternal, household comfort, was the grand trait of the\r\naffair. Also, you would plainly see that these easy-hearted men had no\r\nwives or children to give an anxious thought. Almost all of them were\r\ntravelers, too; and without any twinges of their consciences touching\r\ndesertion of the fireside.\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 5"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG6YGBGKAZPPX2G91V9P9TY1","peer_type":"segment","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG6YDD8GKW0DRD5H2MY1NRZ7","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG6YCG626JN4FCG8QK17CQCF","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG6YH1XF6D32CMZSFEQCJ78Y","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG6YH1XF8DF7SMG117WHDSTN","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T07:57:48.844Z","ts":"2026-01-30T07:57:54.512Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}