d
him to keep up the decent appearance which his position as the
descendant of a family of condition demanded of him. Since the very
smallest loss of money would have been of much consequence to him,
upsetting all his course of life, he was precluded from everything in
the shape of play. But he had not the smallest inclination for it, so
that his avoidance of it involved not the slightest sacrifice on his
part. He was excessively lucky in whatever he undertook, so that his
good fortune became a species of proverb.

"Contrarily to his habit he allowed himself to be persuaded one night
to go to a gambling-house, where the friends who were with him were
soon deep in the game.

"Taking no interest in the game, with his mind fully occupied about
something else, he strolled up and down the room, just now and then
casting a glance at the table, where the gold was streaming in upon the
banquier from every side. All at once an elderly Colonel observed him,
and cried out, 'Oh, the devil! here's the Chevalier Menars, with his
luck, and none of us can win because he hasn't taken a side. This won't
do. He must stake for me instantly.'

"The Chevalier tried his utmost to excuse himself, saying he knew
nothing about the game. But nothing would serve the Colonel but that he
must to the table willy nilly.

"It happened to him exactly as it did to you, Baron. He won on every
card, so that he soon had hauled in a considerable sum for the Colonel,
who could not congratulate himself enough on the great idea he had been
inspired with of availing himself of the celebrated luck of the
Chevalier Menars.

"On the Chevalier himself his luck, which so astonished all the others,
made not the slightest impression. Nay, he did not himself quite
understand how it came about that his detestation of play, if possible,
increased, so that the next morning, when he felt the languor and
listlessness consequent on having sat up so late, and gone through the
excitement, he made a firm resolution that nothing would ever induce
him to enter a gambling-house again.

"This resolution was strengthened by the conduct of the old Colonel,
who had the most extraordinary ill-luck as soon as he took a card in
his hand, and attributed this, in the most absurd way, to the
Chevalier. And he insisted, in the most importunate manner, that Menars
should either play his cards for him, or at all events be at his side
when he played himself, by way of exorcising the demo