ten villa. Now
this balloon lets me down. You wait."

I decided that to argue that the failure of the air-cushion could
hardly be reckoned a calamity would be almost as provocative as to
suggest that the immersion of the cigar should rank as the third
disaster, so I moistened the lips and illustrated an indictment of our
present system of education by a report of my encounter with Susan.

Berry heard me in silence, and then desired me to try the chairs at the
Chateau, and, if they were favouring repose, to inquire whether the
place would be let furnished. Stifling an inclination to assault him,
I laughed pleasantly and related my meeting with the engaging Spaniard.
When I had finished--

"How much did you lend him?" inquired my brother-in-law. "Or is a pal
of his taking care of your watch?"

The fox-trot came to an end, and I rose to my feet.

"The average weight," I said, "of the spleen is, I believe, six ounces.
But spleens have been taken weighing twenty pounds."

"Net or rod?" said Berry.

"Now you see," I continued, "why you're so heavy on the chairs."

With that, I sought my wife and led her away to watch the Baccarat....

Before we had been in the gaming room for twenty seconds, Adele caught
me by the arm.

"D'you see that man over there, Boy? With a bangle on his wrist?"

"And a shirt behind his diamond? I do."

"That's one of the men I saw in the Villa Buichi."

"The devil it is," said I. "Then I take it he's the new lessee. Well,
well. He'll go well with the ballroom, won't he?"

It was a gross-looking fellow, well-groomed and oily. His fat hands
were manicured and he was overdressed. He gave the impression that
money was no longer an object. As if to corroborate this, he had been
winning heavily. I decided that he was a bookmaker.

While I was staring, Adele moved to speak with a friend.

"And who," said a quiet voice, "is attracting such faithful attention?"

It was the Spaniard.

"You see that fat cove?" I whispered. "He did us out of a house
to-day. Overbid us, you know."

My companion smiled.

"No worse than that?" he murmured. "You must count yourselves lucky."

I raised my eyebrows.

"You know him?"

The other nodded.

"Not personally, of course," he said. Then: "I think he's retired now."

"What was he?" said I.

"The biggest receiver in France."

* * * * *

Ere we retired to rest, my brother-in-law's prophecy that there was