The other gambler, after casting a surprised glance at the Gascon, took the dicebox and shook it, saying:

"Ah! you bet on me, do you, seigneur chevalier? Faith! I hope with all my heart that I may win for you."

Cedrille turned toward his neighbors, curious to see the result of the wager.

As for Pa.s.sedix, he had risen, his long body towered above the table, but his eyes never swerved from the box in which the dice were; and his anxious expression, the way in which he twisted the ends of his cloak in his hands, and the trembling of his whole person, all tended to show how important it was to him that he should win the stake.

At last the bourgeois threw the three dice on the table, and the sum of the points was only eleven.

"Faith! that was rather near!" said the man who had thrown; "but it is not enough--I have lost!"

"And you too, chevalier!" exclaimed the other; "come, hand over your rose crown--it was your own suggestion."

Pa.s.sedix, whose face had a.s.sumed a threatening aspect when he saw the result of the throw, slowly caressed his moustache and replied, dwelling on each word:

"I have lost? that may be!--It was monsieur's fault for throwing badly."

"What's that? I threw badly?"

"Why, yes, to be sure; you shouldn't spend two hours shaking the dice in the box--it tires them, and they can only turn up small numbers!"

"Ah! that's a pretty good one! I play as I please. Why did you bet on me? who forced you to?"

"Oh! G.o.d bless me! enough of this! I have lost--that is all right; but I demand my revenge; I should say that that is one of the things no gentleman refuses."

"Your revenge--very good! I agree!"

"That is lucky for you! Sandis!"

"Here, throw the dice yourself!" said the man who had lost, offering the Gascon the box; "then you cannot say that I play badly."

"With pleasure, I prefer it so!" cried the chevalier, seizing the dicebox and resuming his seat.

Thereupon he rattled the dice in the box in his turn, and, having raised his hand above his head, threw them on the table; the throw was fourteen.

A joyful cry escaped from Pa.s.sedix's lips and he looked about with a triumphant air, saying:

"That is what I call throwing! that is how we throw dice at court!

Fourteen! what do you say to that, _compere_?"

"That's a good throw," replied his adversary; "but I may equal it."

And having picked up the three dice and put them in his box, he played, and threw only five.

Pa.s.sedix was radiant; his face lighted up, and he began to laugh uproariously, opening his enormous mouth and showing his sharp fangs.

"I have lost," said the shopkeeper; "well, we are just where we started.--I think it's time to go home, _compere_."

But at that moment the odor of cooked eggs reached their nostrils.

Poussinet appeared, carrying in both hands a pewter platter upon which was the enormous omelet; under one arm he had a jug of wine, and under the other a round loaf.

The waiter gazed admiringly at the omelet, but he walked with slow and measured steps, like a person who expects a catastrophe, or one who is marching to the sacrifice.

The odor of the dish so eagerly coveted dilated the chevalier's nostrils; he seized the shopkeeper by his doublet as he was about to leave the table, and said:

"Well! are we to stop at that? Don't you know that among gentlemen, when each wins a game, the rubber is always played?"

"The rubber! the rubber! But it is late, and I ought to be at home."

"You will be there a few minutes late! What a misfortune! But we cannot afford to play like children, with no result; everyone would laugh at us! Come! it will take but a minute!"

And Pa.s.sedix retained his hold on the tradesman's doublet, which he was very careful not to release, for Poussinet had already said twice:

"Here's the omelet _au lard_, the wine, and the bread--total, two livres eight sous six deniers, which you must pay me now, or I shall take it all away."

"'Tis well! 'tis well! Sandis! Wait a moment, Poussinet; as you see, I am just finishing a game with monsieur. Let us finish!"

Tired of being detained by his doublet, the shopkeeper decided to resume his seat.

"Well, monsieur," he exclaimed; "since I absolutely must do it to satisfy you, let us play this rubber, which, however, I should be justified in refusing, for, after all, I do not know you! You interfered in the game of dice I was playing with my friend, not with you."

"Par la mordioux! are you afraid of compromising yourself by playing with me, my friend? You do not know me, evidently! Very well! learn that I am Chevalier Castor Pyrrhus de Pa.s.sedix, the favorite of Monseigneur le Cardinal de Richelieu, and an officer in the queen's _Mousquetaires_!--Say--are you satisfied now?--In a moment, Poussinet--don't go. Let us settle this business, and don't put your nose so near the omelet!"

The two tradesmen had glanced at each other with a sneering expression while the Gascon chevalier enumerated his name and offices, and they whispered to each other:

"The cardinal's favorite, forsooth! Just look at his doublet; there's a hole in the elbow, and his ruff is all ragged!"

"He is some schemer, some scurvy knave! Shall I play with him?"

"Yes; it would be a good job to win his rose crown."

"But, if he loses, by Notre-Dame! he will have to pay! I will not be put off with his bl.u.s.ter!"

"Well! what about that rubber! Capedebious! shall we finish to-night?"

cried Pa.s.sedix, a.s.suming a surly air and bringing his fist down on the table.

"I am ready, monsieur le favori du cardinal. But you will not ask me for your revenge again. I declare now that I will not throw after this."

"All right! that is understood. Who the devil asks you to?"

"There are the dice, monsieur; will you begin?"

"I have no objection."

Pa.s.sedix put the three dice in the box that he held; this time, despite his efforts, one could see that his hand trembled and that he did not raise the box with the same confidence. However, the dice were thrown, and again the sum was fourteen.

Pa.s.sedix jumped for joy, so that he nearly overturned the table; he breathed like a man who had been stifling for five minutes, then burst out in a roar of laughter that extinguished one of the lamps. His demonstration ended with the words:

"I think that you have lost, my boy! You will pay for our supper."