t you know you left us so suddintly--never mind--'taint no
business o' mine. You're going to take a hand at faro, ain't you?"

"Perhaps."

"Wal, then, it appears a nice game. I'm jest trying it for the first
time myself. It's all chance, I believe--jest like odds and evens. I'm
a winnin' anyhow."

He turned his face to the bank, and appeared to busy himself in
arranging his bets.

A fresh deal had commenced, and the players, drawn off for a moment by
our conversation, became once more engaged in what was of greater
interest to them--the little money-heaps upon the cards.

Of course, both Chorley and Hatcher recognised me; but they had
restricted their recognitions to a friendly nod, and a glance that
plainly said--

"He's here! all right! he'll not go till he has tried to get back his
hundred dollars--he'll have a shy at the bank--no fear but he will."

If such were their thoughts they were, not far astray. My own
reflections were as follows:--

"I may as well risk my money here as elsewhere. A faro bank is a faro
bank all the same. There is no opportunity for cheating, where cards
are thus dealt. The arrangement of the bets precludes every possibility
of such a thing. Where one player loses to the bank, another may win
from it by the very same turn, and this of course checks the dealer from
drawing the cards falsely, even if it were possible for him to do so.
So I may as well play against Messrs. Chorley and Hatcher's bank as any
other--better, indeed; for if I am to win I shall have the satisfaction
of the _revanche_, which those gentlemen owe me. I shall play here
then. Do you advise me, Monsieur?"

Part of the above reflections, and the interrogatory that wound them up,
were addressed in a whisper to the young Creole.

He acknowledged their justice. He advised me to remain. He was of the
opinion I might as well tempt fortune there as go farther.

Enough--I took out a five-dollar gold-piece, and placed it upon the ace.

No notice was taken of this--neither banker nor croupier even turning
their eyes in the direction, of the bet. Such a sum as five dollars
would not decompose the well-practised nerves of these gentlemen--where
sums of ten, twenty, or even fifty times the amount, were constantly
passing to and from their cash-box.

The deal proceeded, Chorley drawing the cards with that air of
imperturbable _sang-froid_ so characteristic of his class.

"Ace wins," cried a voice, as two ac