第5章

The lady stepped briskly forward, and tapped the General on the shoulder with her fan."I am one of the company," she said, "and I am sure Mr.Romayne doesn't distrust _me_." She turned to Romayne with her most irresistible smile."A gentleman always plays cards," she resumed, "when he has a lady for a partner.Let us join our interests at the table--and, dear Mr.Romayne, don't risk too much!" She put her pretty little purse into his hand, and looked as if she had been in love with him for half her lifetime.

The fatal influence of the sex, assisted by wine, produced the inevitable result.Romayne allowed himself to be led to the card table.For a moment the General delayed the beginning of the game.After what had happened, it was necessary that he should assert the strict sense of justice that was in him."We are all honorable men," he began.

"And brave men," the Commander added, admiring the General.

"And brave men," the General admitted, admiring the Commander.

"Gentlemen, if I have been led into expressing myself with unnecessary warmth of feeling, I apologize, and regret it.

"Nobly spoken!" the Commander pronounced.The General put his hand on his heart and bowed.The game began.

As the poorest man of the two I had escaped the attentions lavished by the ladies on Romayne.At the same time I was obliged to pay for my dinner, by taking some part in the proceedings of the evening.Small stakes were allowed, I found, at roulette;and, besides, the heavy chances in favor of the table made it hardly worth while to run the risk of cheating in this case.Iplaced myself next to the least rascally-looking man in the company, and played roulette.

For a wonder, I was successful at the first attempt.My neighbor handed me my winnings."I have lost every farthing I possess," he whispered to me, piteously, "and I have a wife and children at home." I lent the poor wretch five francs.He smiled faintly as he looked at the money."It reminds me," he said, "of my last transaction, when I borrowed of that gentleman there, who is betting on the General's luck at the card table.Beware of employing him as I did.What do you think I got for my note of hand of four thousand francs? A hundred bottles of champagne, fifty bottles of ink, fifty bottles of blacking, three dozen handkerchiefs, two pictures by unknown masters, two shawls, one hundred maps, _and_--five francs."We went on playing.My luck deserted me; I lost, and lost, and lost again.From time to time I looked round at the card table.

The "deal" had fallen early to the General, and it seemed to be indefinitely prolonged.A heap of notes and gold (won mainly from Romayne, as I afterward discovered) lay before him.As for my neighbor, the unhappy possessor of the bottles of blacking, the pictures by unknown masters, and the rest of it, he won, and then rashly presumed on his good fortune.Deprived of his last farthing, he retired into a corner of the room, and consoled himself with a cigar.I had just arisen, to follow his example, when a furious uproar burst out at the card table.

I saw Romayne spring up, and snatch the cards out of the General's hand."You scoundrel!" he shouted, "you are cheating!"The General started to his feet in a fury."You lie!" he cried.Iattempted to interfere, but Romayne had already seen the necessity of controlling himself."A gentleman doesn't accept an insult from a swindler," he said, coolly."Accept this, then!"the General answered--and spat on him.In an instant Romayne knocked him down.

The blow was dealt straight between his eyes: he was a gross big-boned man, and he fell heavily.For the time he was stunned.

The women ran, screaming, out of the room.The peaceable Commander trembled from head to foot.Two of the men present, who, to give them their due, were no cowards, locked the doors.

"You don't go," they said, "till we see whether he recovers or not." Cold water, assisted by the landlady's smelling salts, brought the General to his senses after a while.He whispered something to one of his friends, who immediately turned to me.

"The General challenges Mr.Romayne," he said."As one of his seconds, I demand an appointment for to-morrow morning." Irefused to make any appointment unless the doors were first unlocked, and we were left free to depart."Our carriage is waiting outside," I added."If it returns to the hotel without us, there will be an inquiry." This latter consideration had its effect.On their side, the doors were opened.On our side, the appointment was made.We left the house.