Jamie, I said, how, exactly, do you decide whether you're drunk?Aroused by my voice, he swayed alarmingly to one side, but caught himself on the edge of the mantelpiece. His eyes drifted around the room, then fixed on my face. For an instant, they blazed clear and pellucid with intelligence.och, easy, Sassenach, If ye can stand up, you're not drunk. He let go of the mantelpiece, took a step toward me, and crumpled slowly onto the hearth, eyes blank, and a wide, sweet smile on his dreaming face.
In this excerpt, the speaker questions Jamie about how he determines if he's drunk. The situation seems comical, with Jamie swaying dangerously but trying to maintain his balance using the mantelpiece. For a moment, there's a spark of clarity in his expression, making his answer seem witty and straightforward.
However, as he attempts to demonstrate his sobriety by moving towards the speaker, he unexpectedly collapses onto the hearth with a blissful, unfocused smile. This contrast highlights Jamie's jovial yet impaired state, adding a touch of humor to the scene within the narrative's context.
