led him to live well, to travel up and down Europe, and
pose as a man of considerable means.

Railway concessions in the Balkans, the exploitation of oil in Roumania,
of tin in Montenegro, and copper in Servia, had all been fruitful
sources of income, and now when they had failed he had fallen back upon
his skill at cards.

On the previous night, at a disreputable but luxuriant gaming-house
situated only a few dozen paces from the hotel, he had met his match. His
opponent was too wary, and he had lost very considerably. Indeed, all
that remained to him were those three golden louis.

And with that slender capital he intended that night to retrieve his
lost fortune. It is usually easy for the cheat to retrieve his fortune.
So with a laugh he lit a fresh cigarette, put his three louis in his
pocket, and muttered, "I wish to Heaven Ted would come over here. We
might work something big. I'll wire him."

Then, examining himself in the glass, and settling his tie, he walked
out at three o'clock in the afternoon, his first appearance that day.

Emerging from the lift into the hall, he passed through the low-built
lounge, where a number of summer muslin-dressed idlers were chatting and
laughing, and strode out upon the boards placed upon the golden
sea-sands outside the hotel.

Trouville is unique. Other watering-places have a drive along the
sea-front, but the gay little bathing "trou" has no sea-front. The
hotels abut upon the actual sands, just as Arcachon abuts upon its
shallow oyster-beds.

Ansell had not gone half-a-dozen yards along the _plage_ before he met a
young Englishman whose acquaintance he had made in a night _cafe_ on the
previous evening--a young cavalry officer, who greeted him merrily,
believing him to be the well-known American financier. Even the men who
are "British officers and gentlemen" in these days are prone to bow the
knee to American dollars, the golden key which unlocks the door of the
most exclusive English society. Only the old-fashioned squire of the
country village, the old-fashioned English hunting gentleman, will
despise the men who aspire to society because they can buy society's
smiles.

He walked with the young fellow as far as the casino. Ansell did not
even know his name, and as he had already summed him up as living on his
pay, with a load of debts behind, he did not trouble even to inquire.
Only wealthy "mugs" interested him.

Entering the casino, they had a drink together,