ng dress. Without a blush the woman
moved away on this attendant's arm.

"Shall we move on?" asked Dan.

"Not just yet," urged Darrin, in an undertone. "I am interested in the
further fate of that foolish young woman."

Within five minutes she had returned. Her former seat had been
reserved for her; the young woman dropped into it.

"You have enough money now?" asked the woman at her left.

"I have money," pouted the pretty young woman, "but be warned by me.
The pawnbrokers at Monte Carlo are robbers. The fellow would advance
me only six thousand francs, whereas my husband paid a hundred
thousand for that necklace."

A moment later the young woman was absorbed in the wild frenzy of
play.

"And that attendant undoubtedly gets a handsome commission from the
pawnbroker," murmured Darrin in his chum's ear. "Greed here is in the
very air; none can escape it who lingers."

"How much have you lost, Darrin?" called a bantering voice in Dave's
ear.

The speaker was Lieutenant Totten.

"About as much, I imagine, as you have, sir," was Darrin's smiling
answer.

"Meaning that you now have as much money as when you entered the
place?" answered the lieutenant, banteringly.

"Exactly," returned Darrin. "I have only to study the faces here to
know better than to risk even a franc-piece at one of these tables."

"And you, Dalzell?" inquired Totten.

"I haven't any French money, anyway," grinned Dan.

"Not at all necessary to have French money," laughed Totten. "Any kind
of real money is good here--as long as it lasts. Every nation on earth
is represented here to-night, and the attendants know the current
exchange rate for any kind of good money that is coined or printed.
Look closely about you and you will see other things that are worth
nothing. There are men here, some of them limping, others showing the
pallor of illness, who are undoubtedly French, English or Italian
officers, injured at the front and sent home to hospitals. Being still
unfitted to return to their soldier duties at the front, they are
passing time here and indulging in their mania for gambling. And here,
too, you will see wealthy French, Italian, English or Russian
civilians who have returned to Monte Carlo to gamble, though later on
they are pretty certain to be held up to contempt at home for gambling
money away here instead of buying government war bonds at home."

"You have been here before?" Dave asked.

"Oh, yes," nodded Totten, "and as