hands--gathered there within a space of
five minutes--about 4000 gulden. That, of course, was the proper moment
for me to have departed, but there arose in me a strange sensation as
of a challenge to Fate--as of a wish to deal her a blow on the cheek,
and to put out my tongue at her. Accordingly I set down the largest
stake allowed by the rules--namely, 4000 gulden--and lost. Fired by
this mishap, I pulled out all the money left to me, staked it all on
the same venture, and--again lost! Then I rose from the table, feeling
as though I were stupefied. What had happened to me I did not know;
but, before luncheon I told Polina of my losses--until which time I
walked about the Park.

At luncheon I was as excited as I had been at the meal three days ago.
Mlle. Blanche and the Frenchman were lunching with us, and it appeared
that the former had been to the Casino that morning, and had seen my
exploits there. So now she showed me more attention when talking to me;
while, for his part, the Frenchman approached me, and asked outright if
it had been my own money that I had lost. He appeared to be suspicious
as to something being on foot between Polina and myself, but I merely
fired up, and replied that the money had been all my own.

At this the General seemed extremely surprised, and asked me whence I
had procured it; whereupon I replied that, though I had begun only with
100 gulden, six or seven rounds had increased my capital to 5000 or
6000 gulden, and that subsequently I had lost the whole in two rounds.

All this, of course, was plausible enough. During my recital I glanced
at Polina, but nothing was to be discerned on her face. However, she
had allowed me to fire up without correcting me, and from that I
concluded that it was my cue to fire up, and to conceal the fact that I
had been playing on her behalf. "At all events," I thought to myself,
"she, in her turn, has promised to give me an explanation to-night, and
to reveal to me something or another."

Although the General appeared to be taking stock of me, he said
nothing. Yet I could see uneasiness and annoyance in his face. Perhaps
his straitened circumstances made it hard for him to have to hear of
piles of gold passing through the hands of an irresponsible fool like
myself within the space of a quarter of an hour. Now, I have an idea
that, last night, he and the Frenchman had a sharp encounter with one
another. At all events they closeted themselves together, and