that I rejoiced at my economy since
the lucky hit at the gaming-table. The greater part of my winnings still
remained to me; golden grain, which I now profusely scattered, sure that
it would yield rich harvest. On one manoeuvre I particularly pride
myself. Retaining a few napoleons for immediate use, I remitted the
remainder to a friend in Amsterdam, requesting him to return it me in a
bill on Frankfort drawn by my father's bank. I took care to have the
letter containing the draft delivered to me at dinner when seated beside
the adorable Emilie, and was equally careful to lay the bill open upon
the table, whilst I took a hasty glance at the letter. Of course my
neighbour pretended not to see the draft, and equally of course she made
herself mistress of its contents, particularly noting the drawer's name,
and communicating the same to her mother at the earliest opportunity.
This had a good effect, establishing my connexion with the rich house of
Van Haubitz; and I have taken care to confirm the favourable impression
by the profuse expenditure which you, in your ignorance, have called
extravagance, by treating money as if its abundance in my coffers made
it valueless in my eyes, and by delicate generosity in the shape of
presents to mother and daughter. The trap was too cunningly set to prove
a failure; the birds are fairly snared, and tonight, when we take our
usual romantic stroll, I shall raise the fair Sendel to the seventh
heaven of happiness by asking her to become Madame Van Haubitz."

Although the tenour and tone of these confessions had by no means tended
to elevate the Dutchman in my opinion, I could not forbear smiling at
the coolness with which they were made and at the skill of his
manoeuvres. Still there was some good about the scamp; he had his own
code of honour, such as it was, and from that he would not easily have
been induced to swerve. He would have scorned to do a dirty thing, to
cheat at cards, or leave a debt of honour unpaid; but would readily have
got in debt to tradesmen and money-lenders beyond all possibility of
reimbursement. And as regarded his present conspiracy against the
celibacy and salary of Mademoiselle Sendel, a synod of sages and
logicians would have failed to convince him of its impropriety. He
looked upon it as a most justifiable stratagem, a lawful preying upon
the spoiler, praiseworthy in the sight of men, gods, and columns, and
which he would perhaps have boasted of to a consid