g to yawn, dinner was announced, and I was
another hour and a half without opening my mouth, except to do honour to
an excellent repast. Directly the dessert had been served, M. du Vernai
asked me to follow him into a neighbouring apartment, and to leave the
other guests at the table. I followed him, and we crossed a hall where we
found a man of good aspect, about fifty years old, who followed us into a
closet and was introduced to me by M. du Vernai under the name of
Calsabigi. Directly after, two superintendents of the treasury came in,
and M. du Vernai smilingly gave me a folio book, saying,

"That, I think, M. Casanova, is your plan."

I took the book and read, Lottery consisting of ninety tickets, to be
drawn every month, only one in eighteen to be a winning number. I gave
him back the book and said, with the utmost calmness,

"I confess, sir, that is exactly my idea."

"You have been anticipated, then; the project is by M. de Calsabigi
here."

"I am delighted, not at being anticipated, but to find that we think
alike; but may I ask you why you have not carried out the plan?"

"Several very plausible reasons have been given against it, which have
had no decisive answers."

"I can only conceive one reason against it," said I, coolly; "perhaps the
king would not allow his subjects to gamble."

"Never mind that, the king will let his subjects gamble as much as they
like: the question is, will they gamble?"

"I wonder how anyone can have any doubt on that score, as the winners are
certain of being paid."

"Let us grant, then, that they will gamble: how is the money to be
found?"

"How is the money to be found? The simplest thing in the world. All you
want is a decree in council authorizing you to draw on the treasury. All
I want is for the nation to believe that the king can afford to pay a
hundred millions."

"A hundred millions!"

"Yes, a hundred millions, sir. We must dazzle people."

"But if France is to believe that the Crown can afford to pay a hundred
millions, it must believe that the Crown can afford to lose a hundred
millions, and who is going to believe that? Do you?"

"To be sure I do, for the Crown, before it could lose a hundred millions,
would have received at least a hundred and fifty millions, and so there
need be no anxiety on that score."

"I am not the only person who has doubts on the subject. You must grant
the possibility of the Crown losing an enormous sum at the first
drawi