won and he lost. Once she called him
over to her side.

"I scarcely dare to tell you," she whispered, her eyes gleaming, "but I
have won back the first thousand pounds. I shall give it to you
to-night. Here, take it now."

He shook his head and waved it away. "I haven't the cheques with me," he
protested. "Besides, it is bad luck to part with any of your winnings
while you are still playing."

He watched her for a minute or two. She still won.

"Take my advice," he said earnestly. "Play higher. You have had a most
unusual run of bad luck. The tide has turned. Make the most of it. I
have lost ten mille. I am going to have a try your side of the table."

He found a vacant chair a few places lower down, and commenced playing
in maximums. From the moment of his arrival he began to win, and
simultaneously Violet began to lose. Her good-fortune deserted her
absolutely, and for the first time she showed signs of losing her
self-control. She gave vent to little exclamations of disgust as stake
after stake was swept away. Her eyes were much too bright, there was a
spot of colour in her cheeks. She spoke angrily to a croupier who
delayed handing her some change. Draconmeyer, although he knew perfectly
well what was happening, never seemed to glance in her direction. He
played with absolute recklessness for half-an-hour. When at last he rose
from his seat and joined her, his hands were full of notes. He smiled
ever so faintly as he saw the covetous gleam in her eyes.

"I'm nearly broken," she gasped. "Leave off playing, please, for a
little time. You've changed my luck."

He obeyed, standing behind her chair. Three more coups she played and
lost. Then she thrust her hand into her bag and drew it out, empty. She
was suddenly pale.

"I have lost my last louis," she declared. "I don't understand it. It
seemed as though I must win here."

"So you will in time," he assured her confidently. "How much will you
have--ten mille or twenty?"

She shrank back, but the sight of the notes in his hand fascinated her.
She glanced up at him. His pallor was unchanged, there was no sign of
exultation in his face. Only his eyes seemed a little brighter than
usual beneath his gold-rimmed spectacles.

"No, give me ten," she said.

She took them from his hand and changed them quickly into plaques. Her
first coup was partially successful. He leaned closer over her.

"Remember," he pointed out, "that you only need to win once in a dozen
t