r other circumstances, he would have hesitated to employ so
hazardous an expedient as the one he was about to resort to, but the
character of his adversaries justified any course; besides, time was
passing, and he had no choice of resources. As soon as the waiter served
him, he drained his glass of beer to give himself an inspiration, and
then, in his finest hand, he wrote:

"MY DEAR VISCOUNT--Here's the amount--one hundred francs--that I
lost to you last evening at piquet. When shall I have my revenge?
Your friend,
"VALORSAY."

When he had finished this letter he read it over three or four
times, asking himself if this were the style of composition that very
fashionable folks employ in repaying their debts. To tell the truth, he
doubted it. In the rough draft which he penned at first, he had written
bezique, but in the copy he wrote piquet, which he deemed a more
aristocratic game. "However," said he, "no one will examine it closely!"

Then, as soon as the ink was dry, he folded the letter and slipped it
into an envelope with a hundred franc-note which he drew from an old
pocketbook. He next addressed the envelope as follows: "Monsieur le
Vicomte de Coralth, En Ville," and having completed his preparations, he
paid his score, and hastened to Brebant's. Two waiters were standing at
the doorway, and, showing them the letter, he politely asked: "Do you
happen to know this name? A gentleman dropped this letter on leaving
your place last evening. I ran after him to return it; but I couldn't
overtake him."

The waiters examined the address. "Coralth!" they replied. "We scarcely
know him. He isn't a regular customer, but he comes here occasionally."

"And where does he live?"

"Why do you wish to know?"

"So as to take him this letter, to be sure!"

The waiters shrugged their shoulders. "Let the letter go; it is not
worth while to trouble yourself."

Chupin had foreseen this objection, and was prepared for it. "But
there's money in the letter," he remonstrated. And opening the envelope,
he showed the bank-note which he had taken from his own pocket-book.

This changed the matter entirely. "That is quite a different thing,"
remarked one of the waiters. "If you find money, you are, of course,
responsible for it. But just leave it here at the desk, and the next
time the viscount comes in, the cashier will give it to him."

A cold chill crept over Chupin a