lost the money she had gained."

"Yes," said the aunt, "and these gentlemen have won everybody's money
with their accursed game; which proves it is all a mere cheat."

"It proves they are rogues," said Tiretta.

"But gentlemen," answered one of them, "in that case the receivers of the
Government lottery are rogues too"; whereon Tiretta gave him a box on the
ear. I threw myself between the two combatants, and told them not to
speak a word.

"All lotteries," said I, "are advantageous to the holders, but the king
is at the head of the Government lottery, and I am the principal
receiver, in which character I shall proceed to confiscate this casket,
and give you the choice of the following alternatives: You can, if you
like, return to the persons present the money you have unlawfully won
from them, whereupon I will let you go with your box. If you refuse to do
so, I shall send for a policeman, who will take you to prison, and
to-morrow you will be tried by M. Berier, to whom I shall take this book
in the morning. We shall soon see whether we are rogues as well as they."

Seeing that they had to do with a man of determination, and that
resistance would only result in their losing all, they resolved with as
good a grace as they could muster to return all their winnings, and for
all I know double the sum, for they were forced to return forty louis,
though they swore they had only won twenty. The company was too select
for me to venture to decide between them. In point of fact I was rather
inclined to believe the rascals, but I was angry with them, and I wanted
them to pay a good price for having made a comparison, quite right in the