lso: you
are unlucky at cards, and unlucky in love as well. Poor Abellino! Heaven
help you! You owe me a thousand ducats."

"I?" asked Abellino, irritably.

"Yes, you. Did you not bet me that you would seduce Fanny? And how
splendidly it has turned out! Abellino flies from the embraces of his
uncle's wife like a new Joseph fleeing from a new Madame Potiphar! You
had much better take care lest the lady takes a fancy to some other nice
young man. Ah, ah, ah! Abellino as the protector of virtue! Abellino as
a garde des dames! Why, it's sublime! You might make a capital farce out
of it."

Every word was as venom to his ears, every word cut him to the quick,
cut him to the very marrow. Abellino turned pale and shivered with rage.
What Fennimore said was true. He must needs tremble now at the thought
that this woman would find some one to love. Damnation! Damnation!

And still he kept on losing.

He scarce noticed now what he dealt. Fennimore again won four times the
amount of his stakes. Abellino only paid him double.

"Oh, my friend, you have made a mistake! I laid as much again."

"I did not observe it."

"Why, this is pure filibustery!" cried Fennimore, with insolent
indignation.

At this insulting word, Abellino instantly sprang to his feet, and flung
the whole pack of cards right between Fennimore's eyes.

Fennimore's naturally pale face grew blue and green, and, seizing the
chair on which he had been sitting, he made a rush at Abellino; but the
company intervened, and dragged Fennimore back.

"Let me go--let me go! Give me a knife!" he roared, with foaming lips;
while Abellino, breathing hard, regarded him with bloodshot eyes. Only
with the greatest difficulty were they prevented from tearing each other
to pieces.

At this unseemly disturbance, Mr. Kecskerey rushed in with a very
alarmed expression of face, forced his way through the ranks of the
wranglers, and, assuming his most imposing manner, exclaimed with a
voice that rang out like a clarion, "Respect the sanctity of my house!"

This intervention brought the combatants to their senses. They began to
recognize that this was not the place for adjusting affairs of honour.
The appeal to the sanctity of Mr. Kecskerey's house also did something
to restore the good-humour of the majority. Fennimore and Abellino were
therefore advised by their friends to go home, and settle their little
matter the next morning. They departed accordingly, and the company w