Had they retained their original seats throughout the evening all would have been well; but, unfortunately, they had gone walking about, and which gentleman belonged to which card nobody knew--least of all the guests themselves.

In the then state of general cheerfulness, this did not to anybody appear to much matter.

There were three gentlemen and three addresses.

I suppose the idea was that even if a mistake were made, the parties could be sorted out in the morning.
Anyhow, the three gentlemen were put into a cab, the comparatively speaking sober student took the three cards in his hand, and the party started amid the cheers and good wishes of the company.
There is this advantage about German beer: it does not make a man drunk as the word drunk is understood in England.

There is nothing objectionable about him; he is simply tired.