She told her
husband of the debt, but he refused outright to pay it. Nothing could
induce him to change his mind on the subject, and grandmother was at
her wits' ends. Finally, she remembered a friend of hers, Count
Saint-Germain. You must have heard of him, as many wonderful stories
have been told about him. He is said to have discovered the elixir of
life, the philosopher's stone, and many other equally marvelous things.
He had money at his disposal, and my grandmother knew it. She sent him a
note asking him to come to see her. He obeyed her summons and found her
in great distress. She painted the cruelty of her husband in the darkest
colors, and ended by telling the Count that she depended upon his
friendship and generosity.

"'I could lend you the money,' replied the Count, after a moment of
thoughtfulness, 'but I know that you would not enjoy a moment's rest
until you had returned it; it would only add to your embarrassment.
There is another way of freeing yourself.'

"'But I have no money at all,' insisted my grandmother.

"'There is no need of money. Listen to me.'

"The Count then told her a secret which any of us would give a good deal
to know."

The young gamesters were all attention. Tomsky lit his pipe, took a few
whiffs, then continued:

"The next evening, grandmother appeared at Versailles at the Queen's
gaming-table. The Duke of Orleans was the dealer. Grandmother made some
excuse for not having brought any money, and began to punt. She chose
three cards in succession, again and again, winning every time, and was
soon out of debt."

"A fable," remarked Herman; "perhaps the cards were marked."

"I hardly think so," replied Tomsky, with an air of importance.

"So you have a grandmother who knows three winning cards, and you
haven't found out the magic secret."

"I must say I have not. She had four sons, one of them being my father,
all of whom are devoted to play; she never told the secret to one of
them. But my uncle told me this much, on his word of honor. Tchaplitzky,
who died in poverty after having squandered millions, lost at one time,
at play, nearly three hundred thousand rubles. He was desperate and
grandmother took pity on him. She told him the three cards, making him
swear never to use them again. He returned to the game, staked fifty
thousand rubles on each card, and came out ahead, after paying his
debts."

As day was dawning the party now broke up, each one draining his glass
a