o my chair again. The woman turned her eyes upon me
carelessly, and said--

"What, back again so soon?"

"Yes," said I, somewhat taken aback by her coldness, "if you will
give me another chance."

"I give nothing, least of all chance," she replied.

"Well, can you tell me if this is worth anything?"

As I said this I held out the clasp, which flashed brightly as it
caught the rays of the large candelabrum overhead. She turned her
eyes upon it, and as she did so, for the first time I fancied I
caught a gleam of interest within them. It was but a gleam, however,
and died out instantly as she said--

"Let me look at it."

I handed it to her. She bent over it for a moment, then turned to me
and asked--

"Is this all of it? I mean that it seems only one half of a clasp.
Have you not the other part?"

I shook my head, and she continued--

"It is beautifully worked, and seems valuable. Do you wish me to buy
it?"

"Not exactly that," I explained; "but if you think it worth anything
I should like to stake it against an equivalent."

"Very well; it might be worth three pounds--perhaps more: but you can
stake it for that if you will. Shall it be all at once?"

"Yes, let me have it over at once," I said, and placed it on the red
square marked 13.

She nodded, and bending over the table, set the pointer on its round.

This time I felt quite calm and cool. All the intoxication of play
had gone from me and left my nerves steady as iron. As the needle
swung round I scarcely looked at it, but fell to watching the faces
of my fellow-gamblers with idle interest. This stake would decide
between life and death for me, but I did not feel it. My passion had
fallen upon an anti-climax, and I was even yawning when the murmur of
many voices, and a small pile of gold and silver at my side,
announced that I had won.

"So the luck was changed at last," said the woman. "Be brave whilst
it is with you."

In answer I again placed the clasp upon the number 13.

Once more I won, and this time heavily. Tom laid his hand upon my
shoulder and said, "Let us go," but I shook my head and went on.

Time after time I won now, until the pile beside me became immense.
Again and again Tom whispered in my ear that we had won enough and
that luck would change shortly, but I held on. And now the others
surrounded me in a small crowd and began to stake on the numbers I
chose. Put the clasp where I would the needle stopped in fr