ied."

"He grunted, and spun it up. 'Pile!' I called this time. Down it came
to his hand. Once more the eyes of the waiter and myself rushed to
it; the result was capable of no adjustment. I felt my heart bump
painfully. The broad coin lay on his hand, pile uppermost. I drew the
rest of the money to me."

"'A thousand thanks,' I croaked from a throat constricted with
surprise. Rigobert swore."

Cobb laughed. "Is that all that is troubling you?" he asked.

"All!" Savinien shrugged his immense shoulders desolately. "All! That
was merely the commencement," he said. "And even that did not finish
there."

"I hope Rigobert didn't get any of it back," said Cobb.

"He did his best," replied Savinien. "In a minute or two he collected
his wits and addressed himself to the situation. It was worth seeing.
He shook his depression from him like a dog shaking water from its
coat, and sat up. Enterprise, determination, ruthlessness were
eloquent in his countenance; I felt like a child before such a
combination of qualities. Then he began to talk. He has an air, that
brigand; he can cock his head so as to deceive a bailiff; he can wear
a certain nobility of countenance; and with it all he can importune
like a beggar. He has a horrid and plausible fluency; he is deaf to
denials; he drugs you with words and robs you before you recover
consciousness. He had got the length of quoting my own verses to me,
and I felt myself going, when deliverance arrived. A stout man paused
on the pavement, surveying us both, then came towards us.

"'Monsieur Rigobert,' he said, with that fashion of politeness which
one dreads, 'I am on my way to your address.'"

"'Do not let me detain you,' replied Rigobert unpleasantly.

"'But,' said the other, 'this was the day you appointed, M'sieur. You
said, 'Bring your bill to me on the 13th, and I will pay it.' Here is
the bill.'"

"He plunged his hand into his breast pocket and fumbled with papers.
Rigobert examined me rapidly. But the spell was broken, and I was
myself again master of my emotions, and of the thousand francs. He
saw that it was hopeless--and rose.

"'Monsieur,' he said to the tradesman, 'this is not a time to talk to
me of business. I have just suffered a painful bereavement.'"

"He made a gesture with his hand, mournful and resigned, and walked
away, while the tradesman gazed after him. And there was I--rich and
safe! I felt a warmth that pervaded me. I settled my hat on my head
and