Oscar pulled out his hundred in silver five-franc pieces, much ashamed at having to mingle such ignoble coins with gold.

In ten throws the actress lost the two hundred francs.
"Oh! how stupid!" she cried.

"I'm banker now.

But we'll play together still, won't we ?" Fanny Beaupre rose to take her place as banker, and Oscar, finding himself observed by the whole table, dared not retire on the ground that he had no money.

Speech failed him, and his tongue clove to the roof of his mouth.
"Lend me five hundred francs," said the actress to the danseuse.
Florentine brought the money, which she obtained from Georges, who had just passed eight times at ecarte.
"Nathan has won twelve hundred francs," said the actress to Oscar.
"Bankers always win; we won't let them fool us, will we ?" she whispered in his ear.
Persons of nerve, imagination, and dash will understand how it was that poor Oscar opened his pocket-book and took out the note of five hundred francs which Desroches had given him.