pted De Griers in a tone of impatience
and contempt (evidently he was the ruling spirit of the conclave). "Mon
cher monsieur, notre general se trompe. What he means to say is that he
warns you--he begs of you most earnestly--not to ruin him. I use the
expression because--"

"Why? Why?" I interjected.

"Because you have taken upon yourself to act as guide to this, to
this--how shall I express it?--to this old lady, a cette pauvre
terrible vieille. But she will only gamble away all that she
has--gamble it away like thistledown. You yourself have seen her play.
Once she has acquired the taste for gambling, she will never leave the
roulette-table, but, of sheer perversity and temper, will stake her
all, and lose it. In cases such as hers a gambler can never be torn
away from the game; and then--and then--"

"And then," asseverated the General, "you will have ruined my whole
family. I and my family are her heirs, for she has no nearer relatives
than ourselves. I tell you frankly that my affairs are in great--very
great disorder; how much they are so you yourself are partially aware.
If she should lose a large sum, or, maybe, her whole fortune, what will
become of us--of my children" (here the General exchanged a glance with
De Griers) "or of me?" (here he looked at Mlle. Blanche, who turned her
head contemptuously away). "Alexis Ivanovitch, I beg of you to save us."

"Tell me, General, how am I to do so? On what footing do I stand here?"

"Refuse to take her about. Simply leave her alone."

"But she would soon find some one else to take my place?"

"Ce n'est pas ca, ce n'est pas ca," again interrupted De Griers. "Que
diable! Do not leave her alone so much as advise her, persuade her,
draw her away. In any case do not let her gamble; find her some
counter-attraction."

"And how am I to do that? If only you would undertake the task,
Monsieur de Griers!" I said this last as innocently as possible, but at
once saw a rapid glance of excited interrogation pass from Mlle.
Blanche to De Griers, while in the face of the latter also there
gleamed something which he could not repress.

"Well, at the present moment she would refuse to accept my services,"
said he with a gesture. "But if, later--"

Here he gave Mlle. Blanche another glance which was full of meaning;
whereupon she advanced towards me with a bewitching smile, and seized
and pressed my hands. Devil take it, but how that devilish visage of
hers could change! At t