we are all here, at the cards
already."

Peter entering the parlour, immediately put his hand into his pocket,
and perceived, by its being quite full, that Hezekiel must be
plentifully supplied. He sat down at the table among the others and
played, losing and winning alternately; thus they kept playing till
night, when all sober people went home. After having continued for
some time by candle-light, two of the gamblers said: "Now it is enough,
and we must go home to our wives and children."

But Peter challenged Hezekiel to remain. The latter was unwilling, but
said, after a while, "Be it as you wish; I will count my money, and
then we'll play dice at five florins the stake, for any thing lower is,
after all, but child's play." He drew his purse, and, after counting,
found he had a hundred florins left; now Peter knew how much he himself
had left, without counting first. But if Hezekiel had before won, he
now lost stake after stake, and swore most awfully. If he cast a
_pasch_, Peter immediately cast one likewise, and always two points
higher. At length he put down the last five florins on the table,
saying, "Once more; and if I lose this stake also, yet I will not leave
off; you will then lend me some of the money you have won now, Peter;
one honest fellow helps the other."

"As much as you like, even if it were a hundred florins," replied
Peter, joyful at his gain, and fat Hezekiel rattled the dice and threw
up fifteen; "Pasch!" he exclaimed, "now we'll see!" But Peter threw up
eighteen, and, at this moment, a hoarse, well-known voice said behind
him, "So! that was the last."

He looked round, and behind him stood the gigantic figure of Michel the
Dutchman. Terrified, he dropped the money he had already taken up.
But fat Hezekiel, not seeing Michel, demanded that Peter should advance
him ten florins for playing. As if in a dream Peter hastily put his
hand into his pocket, but there was no money; he searched in the other
pocket, but in vain; he turned his coat inside out, not a farthing,
however, fell out; and at this instant he first recollected his first
wish; viz., to have always as much money in his pocket as fat Hezekiel.
All had now vanished like smoke.

The host and Hezekiel looked at him with astonishment as he still
searched for and could not find his money; they would not believe that
he had no more left; but when they at length searched his pockets,
without finding any thing, they were enrage