s your partner designedly played the
wrong card--"

"Ha! I see now; I believe it."

"It did not need that though. Even had you had an honest partner, it
would have been all the same in the end. Your opponents have a system
of signals by which they can communicate to each other many facts--the
sort of cards they hold,--the colour of the cards, their value, and so
forth. You did not observe how they placed their fingers upon the edge
of the table. _I_ did. One finger laid horizontally denoted one
trump--two fingers placed in a similar manner, two trumps--three for
three, and so on. A slight curving of the fingers told: how many of the
trumps were honours; a certain movement of the thumbs bespoke an ace;
and in this way each of your adversaries knew almost to a card what his
partner had got. It needed not the third to bring about the desired
result. As it was, there were seven knaves about the table--four in the
cards, and three among the players."

"This is infamous!"

"True, I would have admonished you of it sooner; but, of course, I could
not find an opportunity. It would have been no slight danger for me to
have told you openly, and exposed the rascals. Hence, the _ruse_ I have
been compelled to adopt. These are no common swindlers. Any of the
three would resent the slightest imputation upon their honour. Two of
them are noted duellists. Most likely I should have been called out
to-morrow and shot, and you would scarce have thanked me for my
`interference.'"

"My dear sir, I am exceedingly grateful to you. I am convinced that
what you say is true. How would you have me act?"

"Simply give up the game--let your losses go--you cannot recover them."

"But I am not disposed to be thus outraged and plundered with impunity.
I shall try another game, watch them, and--"

"No, you would be foolish to do so. I tell you, Monsieur, these men are
noted duellists as well as black-legs, and possess courage. One of
them, your partner, has given proof of it by having travelled over three
hundred miles to fight with a gentleman who had slandered him, or rather
had spoken the truth about him! He succeeded, moreover, in killing his
man. I tell you, Monsieur, you can gain nothing by quarrelling with
such men, except a fair chance of having a bullet through you. I know
you are a stranger in our country. Be advised, then, and act as I have
said. Leave them to their gains. It is late: Retire to your
state-ro