and in handing him his cheques, is marked and assiduous. He is the
favoured better of the ring; and oh! how the eyes of those fair lemans
gleam upon him with their wild and wicked meaning! Not one of them that
would not love him for that sparkling gem!

I stood on one side watching with great anxiety--greater than if the
stake had been my own. But it _was_ my own. It was _for me_. The
generous youth was playing away his gold for _me_.

My suspense was not likely to be of long duration. He was losing
rapidly--recklessly losing. He had taken my place at the table, and
along with it my ill-luck. Almost every bet he made was "raked" into
the bank, until his last coin lay upon the cards. Another turn, and
that, too, chinked as it fell into the cash-box of the croupier!

"Come now, D'Hauteville! Come away!" I whispered, leaning over, and
laying hold of his arm.

"How much against this?" he asked the banker, without heeding me--"how
much, sir?"

As he put the question, he raised the gold guard over his head, at the
same time drawing forth his watch.

I suspected this was his intention when I first spoke. I repeated my
request in a tone of entreaty--all in vain. He pressed Chorley for a
reply.

The latter was not the man to waste words at such a crisis.

"A hundred dollars," said he, "for the watch--fifty more upon the
chain."

"Beautiful!" exclaimed one of the players.

"They're worth more," muttered another.

Even in the _blaze_ hearts around that table there were human feelings.
There is always a touch of sympathy for him who loses boldly; and an
expression of this in favour of the Creole youth could be heard, from
time to time, as his money parted from him.

"Yes, that watch and chain are worth more," said a tall dark-whiskered
man, who sat near the end of the table. This remark was made in a firm
confident tone of voice, that seemed to command Chorley's attention.

"I'll look at it again, if you please?" said he, stretching across the
table to D'Hauteville, who still held the watch in his hand.

The latter surrendered it once more to the gambler, who opened the case,
and commenced inspecting the interior. It was an elegant watch, and
chain also--of the fashion usually worn by ladies. They were worth more
than Chorley had offered, though that did not appear to be the opinion
of the pork-merchant.

"It's a good pile o' money, is a hundred an' fifty dollars," drawled he;
"a good biggish pil