tal and bodily superiorities which had formerly brought him love and
consideration. He ceased to be a faithful friend, an open-hearted
pleasant companion, a chivalric and gallant honourer of ladies. His
love for art and science was extinguished, as well as all his wish to
make progress in knowledge of the desirable sort. In his deathly pale
countenance and gloomy eyes, sparkling with darksome fire, was
imprinted the plain expression of that devouring passion which held him
fast in its bands. It was not the love of play, it was the most
detestable avarice, the craving for money, which the Devil himself had
kindled within him. In one word, he was the most thorough specimen of a
banquier ever seen.

"One night--though he had not, so to speak, lost very much--he found
that fortune had not been quite so favourable to him as usual. And just
at this juncture there came up to the table a little old weazened man,
in poverty-stricken clothes, and altogether of almost disgustingly
repulsive appearance. He drew a card, with shaking hand, and staked a
piece of gold on it. Several of those at the table looked at him with
deep amazement, and immediately behaved towards him with conspicuous
despite; but he took not the slightest notice, not even by a look, far
less by a word.

"He lost--lost one piece of gold after another, and the more he lost
the better the other players were pleased. And when the old man, who
kept on doubling his stakes, at last staked five hundred louis on a
card, and lost it in a moment, one of them cried out, laughing loud,
'Well done, Signor Vertua; keep it up! Don't give in; keep up your
game! You seem to me as if you would certainly break the bank, your
luck is so splendid!'

"The old man darted a basilisk look at him, and ran off out of the room
as quickly as he could; but only to come back in half an hour, with his
pockets crammed with gold. When the final _taille_ came he could not go
on, as he had lost all the money he brought with him the second time.

"The Chevalier, who, notwithstanding all the atrocity of his ongoings,
still insisted on there being a certain observance of ordinary
_convenance_ amongst the frequenters of his establishment, had been in
the highest degree displeased at the derision and contempt with which
the old man had been treated, which was sufficient reason for his
talking very seriously, when the evening's play was over, to the man
who had jeered at him, and to one or two others