CHAPTER VII
TRACES OF THE 'TITANIC'
HIPPOLYTE woke up as usual at half-past seven. He mumbled 'Guten Morgen' to himself and then went off to wash. He thoroughly enjoyed himself as he splashed about and shook his head trying to get the water out of his ears. He always enjoyed drying himself, but this time, as he looked at the towel, he suddenly noticed that it was smeared with the black stuff he had used on his moustache. His heart sank; he took out his pocket mirror and looked into it. He saw a large nose and the left side of a moustache which was as green as grass. He hastily shifted the mirror so that he could see the right side of his moustache. It was the same disgusting colour. He lowered his head as he if were going to butt at the mirror and saw that the centre of his hair was black while the edges were bright green.
Hippolyte groaned so loudly that Bender heard him and opened his clear blue eyes.
'You've gone mad!' he exclaimed, and promptly closed his eyes again.
'Comrade Bender!' whispered the 'Titanic's' victim.
Bender woke up after many prods and digs in his ribs. He sat up, looked at Hippolyte attentively, and then burst out laughing.
'You're a heartless beast!' said Hippolyte as his moustache trembled nervously.
This only made Bender more hilarious, and he went into fits of laughter which lasted for at least ten minutes. Then growing more serious he said: 'What are you looking at me like that for? You and your green moustache! You're looking at me as if I were a louse. Just you look at yourself!'
