Part 30 (1/2)
”Fifteen hundred.”
”And the stakes?”
”Whatever you please, messieurs; what shall it be?”
”We don't want to ruin ourselves; say, two francs each.”
”Two francs it is.”
”I have seen people play for five hundred francs a game,” said Batonnin.
”The deuce! that's flying rather high. But when a man's very rich----”
”Oh! it isn't always the richest men who play for the biggest stakes--rather, those who want to pa.s.s themselves off for millionaires, and who are in need of money.”
”Our excellent Monsieur Batonnin, with all his air of indifference, seems to observe everything.”
”I? Oh! dear me, no! I say that because I've heard someone else say it.”
”I declare four aces!”
”That's a good beginning.”
”I remember now that it's Monsieur Monleard whom I have seen play bezique for five hundred francs a game.”
”My son-in-law? Oh! you must be mistaken; he doesn't play so high as that.”
”I beg a thousand pardons, but it was he. There's nothing remarkable about that, for he plays whist at his club for a hundred francs a point.”
”He has a.s.sured me that he doesn't go to his club now.”
”I have that fact from someone who played with him, less than a week ago.”
”Come, Monsieur Batonnin, its your turn; pray attend to the game.”
”I am attending, my dear Monsieur Gerbault; I am paying the closest attention. Ah! that's a very pretty thing Mademoiselle Adolphine is singing!”
”Double bezique!”
”There, you have let Monsieur Clairval make five hundred!”
”I couldn't prevent him, could I?”
”Certainly you could: there were only three tricks left, and you had two aces of trumps.”
”Well! that makes only two tricks.”
”I would have taken the third with my ace.”
”Ah! so you think we could have prevented monsieur from counting his five hundred?”