is membership on very startling terms.

"Attention, gentlemen!" said the President.

And he began slowly dealing the cards about the table in the reverse
direction, pausing until each man had shown his card. Nearly every one
hesitated; and sometimes you would see a player's fingers stumble more
than once before he could turn over the momentous slip of pasteboard. As
the Prince's turn drew nearer, he was conscious of a growing and almost
suffocating excitement; but he had somewhat of the gambler's nature, and
recognised almost with astonishment that there was a degree of pleasure
in his sensations. The nine of clubs fell to his lot; the three of
spades was dealt to Geraldine; and the queen of hearts to Mr. Malthus,
who was unable to suppress a sob of relief. The young man of the cream
tarts almost immediately afterwards turned over the ace of clubs, and
remained frozen with horror, the card still resting on his finger; he
had not come there to kill, but to be killed; and the Prince in his
generous sympathy with his position almost forgot the peril that still
hung over himself and his friend.

The deal was coming round again, and still Death's card had not come
out. The players held their respiration, and only breathed by gasps. The
Prince received another club; Geraldine had a diamond; but when Mr.
Malthus turned up his card a horrible noise, like that of something
breaking, issued from his mouth; and he rose from his seat and sat down
again, with no sign of his paralysis. It was the ace of spades. The
honorary member had trifled once too often with his terrors.

Conversation broke out again almost at once. The players relaxed their
rigid attitudes, and began to rise from the table and stroll back by
twos and threes into the smoking-room. The President stretched his arms
and yawned, like a man who has finished his day's work. But Mr. Malthus
sat in his place, with his head in his hands, and his hands upon the
table, drunk and motionless--a thing stricken down.

The Prince and Geraldine made their escape at once. In the cold night
air their horror of what they had witnessed was redoubled.

"Alas!" cried the Prince, "to be bound by an oath in such a matter! to
allow this wholesale trade in murder to be continued with profit and
impunity! If I but dared to forfeit my pledge!"

"That is impossible for your Highness," replied the Colonel, "whose
honour is the honour of Bohemia. But I dare, and may with propriety,
forfe