at sea, the welcome cry of
"Land!" was given from the mast-head; but as the weather was hazy and
thick, we were compelled to shorten sail, and made comparatively little
way through the water; so that at nightfall we saw that another day must
elapse ere we touched mother earth again.

The Chevalier and the Captain both dined with me; the latter, however,
soon repaired to the deck, leaving us in _tete-a-tete_. It was in all
likelihood the last evening we should ever pass together, and I felt a
most eager longing to ascertain the truth of my vague suspicions. Chance
gave me the opportunity. We had been playing cards, and luck--contrary
to custom, and in part owing to my always shuffling the cards _after_ my
adversary--had deserted _him_ and taken _my_ side. At first this seemed
to amuse him, and he merely complimented me upon my fortune, and smiled
blandly at my success. After a while, however, his continued losses
began to irritate him, and I could see that his habitual command of
temper was yielding to a peevish, captious spirit he had never exhibited
previously.

"Shall we double our stake?" said he, after a long run of ill-luck.

"If _you_ prefer it, of course," said I. And we played on, but ever with
the same result.

"Come," cried he, at last, "I 'll wager fifty Napoleons on this game."
The bet was made, and he lost it! With the like fortune he played on and
on, till at last, as day was dawning, he had not only lost all that he
had won from me during the voyage, but a considerable sum besides, and
for which he gave me his check upon a well-known banker at Paris.

"Shall I tell you your fortune, Monsieur le Comte?" said he, in a tone
of bitterness that almost startled me.

"With all my heart," said I, laughing. "Are you skilful as a
necromancer?"

"I can at least decipher what the cards indicate," said he. "There is no
great skill in reading, where the print is legible." With these words,
he shuffled the cards, dividing them into two or three packets; the
first card of each he turned on the face. "Let me premise, Count," said
he, "before I begin, that you will not take anything in bad part which I
may reveal to you, otherwise I'll be silent. You are free to believe, or
not to believe, what I tell you; but you cannot reasonably be angry if
unpleasant discoveries await you."

"Go on fearlessly," said I; "I'll not promise implicit faith in
everything, but I 'll pledge myself to keep my temper."

He began at o