And at last there remained only one gold piece.

He hesitated, holding it poised for the wager, while the owner of the game rattled the dice loudly and looked up at the coin with hungry eyes.
Once more Pierre closed his eyes and laid his wager, while his empty left hand slipped again inside his shirt and touched the metal of the cross, and once more when he opened his eyes the hand of the gambler was going out to lay a second coin over his.
"It is the cross!" thought Pierre.

"It is the cross which brings me luck." The dice rattled out.

He won.

Again, and still he won.