sult that one Pole remained standing
on the right of the victim, and the other on her left; from which
vantage points the pair quarrelled, abused each other concerning the
stakes and rounds, and exchanged the epithet "laidak" [Rascal] and
other Polish terms of endearment. Finally, they effected a mutual
reconciliation, and, tossing the money about anyhow, played simply at
random. Once more quarrelling, each of them staked money on his own
side of the Grandmother's chair (for instance, the one Pole staked upon
the red, and the other one upon the black), until they had so confused
and browbeaten the old lady that, nearly weeping, she was forced to
appeal to the head croupier for protection, and to have the two Poles
expelled. No time was lost in this being done, despite the rascals'
cries and protestations that the old lady was in their debt, that she
had cheated them, and that her general behaviour had been mean and
dishonourable. The same evening the unfortunate Potapitch related the
story to me with tears complaining that the two men had filled their
pockets with money (he himself had seen them do it) which had been
shamelessly pilfered from his mistress. For instance, one Pole demanded
of the Grandmother fifty gulden for his trouble, and then staked the
money by the side of her stake. She happened to win; whereupon he cried
out that the winning stake was his, and hers the loser. As soon as the
two Poles had been expelled, Potapitch left the room, and reported to
the authorities that the men's pockets were full of gold; and, on the
Grandmother also requesting the head croupier to look into the affair,
the police made their appearance, and, despite the protests of the
Poles (who, indeed, had been caught redhanded), their pockets were
turned inside out, and the contents handed over to the Grandmother. In
fact, in, view of the circumstance that she lost all day, the croupiers
and other authorities of the Casino showed her every attention; and on
her fame spreading through the town, visitors of every
nationality--even the most knowing of them, the most
distinguished--crowded to get a glimpse of "la vieille comtesse russe,
tombee en enfance," who had lost "so many millions."

Yet with the money which the authorities restored to her from the
pockets of the Poles the Grandmother effected very, very little, for
there soon arrived to take his countrymen's place, a third Pole--a man
who could speak Russian fluently, was dressed