M. Casanova to see me tomorrow morning, as I hope
he will bring me news that he has won."

"It's my turn to deal this evening, dearest, but whether he wins or loses
you shall see him to-morrow. You must give us some breakfast."

"I shall be delighted."

We kissed her hand, and went to the same place as the night before. The
company was waiting for the duke. There were twelve members of the club,
and they all held the bank in turn. They said that this made the chances
more equal; but I laughed at this opinion, as there is nothing more
difficult to establish than equality between players.

The Duke de Matalone sat down, drew out his purse and his pocket-book,
and put two thousand ducats in the bank, begging pardon of the others for
doubling the usual sum in favour of the stranger. The bank never exceeded
a thousand ducats.

"Then," said I, "I will hazard two thousand ducats also and not more, for
they say at Venice that a prudent player never risks more than he can
win. Each of my counters will be equivalent to two ducats." So saying, I
took ten notes of a hundred ducats each from my pocket, and gave them to
the last evening's banker who had won them from me.

Play began; and though I was prudent, and only risked my money on a
single card, in less than three hours my counters were all gone. I
stopped playing, though I had still twenty-five thousand ducats; but I
had said that I would not risk more than two thousand, and I was ashamed
to go back from my word.

Though I have always felt losing my money, no one has ever seen me put
out, my natural gaiety was heightened by art on such occasions, and
seemed to be more brilliant than ever. I have always found it a great
advantage to be able to lose pleasantly.

I made an excellent supper, and my high spirits furnished me with such a
fund of amusing conversation that all the table was in a roar. I even
succeeded in dissipating the melancholy of the Duke de Matalone, who was
in despair at having won such a sum from his friend and guest. He was
afraid he had half ruined me, and also that people might say he had only
welcomed me for the sake of my money.

As we returned to the palace the conversation was affectionate on his
side and jovial on mine, but I could see he was in some trouble, and
guessed what was the matter. He wanted to say that I could pay the money
I owed him whenever I liked, but was afraid of wounding my feelings; but
as soon as he got in he wrote me a fr