o color, seldom repeating, with zero making
itself conspicuous. The man with the scar played on, but he began to
lose, small sums at first, then larger, till finally he was down to his
original stake. The scar grew livid. He waited five turns of the wheel,
then placed his stake on the second dozen. He lost. He rose from his
chair, scowling. His eye chanced to meet Hillard's, and their glances
held for a moment.

"Fool!" said Merrihew in an undertone, as the man strolled leisurely
past them. "Eight thousand, and not content to quit!"

"My boy, a man who needs a hundred thousand and wins but eight is seldom
content." Hillard followed the Italian with his eyes as he approached
one of the lounges. There the loser was joined by his friend, and the
two of them fell to gesticulating wildly, after the manner of their
race. Hillard understood this pantomime; the diplomat had been a
share-holder. "Start your play, Dan. I'll find plenty of amusement at
the other tables. My watching your game hasn't brought you any luck up
to the present. Go in and give 'em a beating."

Merrihew hastened over to the north table. This was, according to
report, the table which had no suicide's chair; and Merrihew had his
private superstitions like the rest of us. At eleven o'clock the banks
closed, so he had but two hours in which to win a fortune. It was not
possible for him to lose one; in this the gods were with him.

Meanwhile the trolleys from Nice and Mentone had poured into Monte Carlo
their usual burdens of pleasure seekers. On one of the cars from Nice
there had arrived two women, both veiled and simply gowned. The
conductor had seen them before, but never at night. They seldom
addressed each other, and never spoke to any one else. He picked them up
at Villefranche. Doubtless they were some sober married women out for a
lark. Upon leaving the car they did not at once go into the Casino, but
directed their steps toward the terraces, for the band was playing. They
sat in the shadow of the statue of Massenet, and near-by the rasp of a
cricket broke in upon the music. When the music stopped they linked arms
and sauntered up and down the wide sweep of stone, mutually interested
in the crowds, the color, and the lights. Once, as they passed behind a
bench, the better to view the palaces of the prince, they heard the
voices of two men.

"Ho-hum!"

"Heigh-ho!"

As they went on, the women heard something about cigars. The men were
Americans,