nd heaps.

"Ah, ah, my friend! the proverb 'Luckless at cards, lucky at love,' does
not seem to apply to you. Poor Fennimore, God help thee!"

Fennimore arose; he would play no more. He was livid with rage. He had
lost his wager (he had bet Abellino a thousand ducats that he would
never seduce Fanny)--he had lost his money, and he had to bear, besides,
the stinging sarcasms of his triumphant rival. His heart was full of
gall and venom. More than once he was on the point of making a vigorous
demonstration with a heavy candlestick; but he thought better of it, and
at last got up and quitted the room.

Abellino went on playing and winning, and in his teasing, tormenting way
stung those who lost to the very quick. He was stupefied by the day's
good luck. He could not restrain his laughter.

"Well," cried he at last, sweeping into his pocket the banknotes piled
up before him, "Fennimore's twofold ill luck has given the lie to the
proverb. I am going to contradict it with my twofold good fortune."

In the very next room he came face to face with a lackey who had long
been looking for him. Mrs. Meyer was waiting for him, the man said; she
was in the ante-chamber, but could not come in, for she had only just
returned from a journey, and had not had time to change her dress.

Ugh! that was not a good sign. Abellino immediately hastened out to have
a word with her. She said that she had not come across the girl, but she
was sure to come, as otherwise she would not have accepted the
invitation.

Abellino received the pleasant tidings very angrily, and left Mrs. Meyer
alone in the antechamber. Diable! if they should make a fool of him,
after all!

There, however, he could not afford to display his anger; no, there he
had to carry it off with a joyous, triumphant, provocative face to the
very end. He would rather lose all his money than be left in the lurch
by the girl now.

Presently he went out again to ask Mrs. Meyer whether she had not told
the girl that he meant to make her his wife.

Oh yes; and the girl seemed greatly delighted at the idea.

And again he cheered up a bit, and returned to the assembly room, and
did his best to amuse Monsieur Griffard.

They were handing round the tea, and the Countess X---- had just begun
to sing the "Casta Diva," when Abellino's lackey sidled up to his master
and whispered in his ear--

"I have just seen Miss Fanny Meyer descending from a carriage."

Abellino pressed into the