elf-control, it was not without difficulty
that the young officer preserved a calm demeanor under the severe blows
dealt him by Fortune. Paul Landry, always master of himself, lowered his
eyes that their expression of greedy and merciless joy should not be
seen. The nearer the game drew to its conclusion, the closer pressed the
circle of spectators, and in the midst of a profound silence the last
hand began. Favored from the beginning with the luckiest cards, followed
by the most fortunate returns, Paul Landry scored successively "forty,
bezique," five hundred and fifteen hundred. He lacked two cards to make
the highest point possible, but Henri, by their absence from his own
hand, could measure the peril that menaced him. So, surveying the number
of cards that remained in stock, he guarded carefully three aces of
trumps which might help him to avert disaster. But, playing the only ace
that would allow him to score again, Paul Landry announced coldly, laying
on the table four queens of spades and four knaves of diamonds:

"Four thousand five hundred!" This was the final stroke. The last hand
had wiped out, by eight thousand points, the possessions of Landry's
adversary. The former losses of the unfortunate Marquis were now
augmented by one hundred and forty thousand francs. Henri became very
pale, but, summoning all his pride to meet the glances of the curious, he
arose, rang a bell, and called for a pen and a sheet of stamped paper.
Then, turning to Paul Landry, he said, calmly "Monsieur, I owe you four
hundred thousand francs. Debts of honor are payable within twenty-four
hours, but in order to realize this sum, I shall require more time. How
long a delay will you grant me?"

"As long as you wish, Monsieur."

"I thank you. I ask a month."

A waiter appeared, bringing the pen and paper.

"Oh, your word will be sufficient for me," said Landry.

"Pardon me!" said the Marquis. "One never knows what may happen. I insist
that you shall accept a formal acknowledgment of the debt."

And he wrote:

"I, the undersigned, acknowledge that I owe to Monsieur Paul Landry the
sum of four hundred thousand francs, which I promise to pay in thirty
days, counting from this date."

He dated, signed, and folded the paper, and handed it to Paul Landry.
Then, glancing at the clock, whose hands pointed to a quarter before
four, he said:

"Permit me to take leave of you, gentlemen. I have barely time to reach
Vincennes before roll-