mon, dice, basset, and calbas. Bluebeard was uniformly
unfortunate in these various games, at which he lost large sums every
night. He could console himself for his continuous run of bad luck by
watching the three Lespoisse ladies win a great deal of money. Jeanne,
the younger, who often backed the game of the Chevalier de la Merlus,
heaped up mountains of gold. Madame de Lespoisse's two sons also did
very well at reversi and basset; their luck was invariably best at the
more hazardous games. The play went on until late into the night. No
one slept during these marvellous festivities, and as the earliest
biographer of Bluebeard has said: "They spent the whole night in playing
tricks on one another." These hours were the most delightful of
the whole twenty-four; for then, under cover of jesting, and taking
advantage of the darkness, those who felt drawn toward one another would
hide together in the depths of some alcove. The Chevelier de la Merlus
would disguise himself at one time as a devil, at another as a ghost or
a were-wolf in order to frighten the sleepers, but he always ended by
slipping into the room of Mademoiselle Jeanne de Lespoisse. The good
_seigneur_ of Montragoux was not overlooked in these games. The two sons
of Madame de Lespoisse put irritant powder in his bed, and burnt in his
room substances which emitted a disgusting smell. Or they would arrange
a jug of water over his door so that the worthy _seigneur_ could not
open the door without the whole of the water being upset upon his
head. In short, they played on him all sorts of practical jokes, to the
diversion of the whole company, and Bluebeard bore them with his natural
good humour.

He made his request, to which Madame de Lespoisse acceded, although, as
she said, it wrung her heart to think of giving her girls in marriage.

The marriage was celebrated at Motte-Giron with extraordinary
magnificence. The Demoiselle Jeanne, amazingly beautiful, was dressed
entirely in _point de France_, her head covered with a thousand
ringlets. Her sister Anne wore a dress of green velvet, embroidered
with gold. Their mother's dress was of golden tissue, trimmed with black
chenille, with a _parure_ of pearls and diamonds. Monsieur de Montragoux
wore all his great diamonds on a suit of black velvet; he made a very
fine appearance; his expression of timidity and innocence contrasting
strongly with his blue chin and his massive build. The bride's brothers
were of cours