well at this, as at all scientific games; he thought he should make a
fortune out of the Frenchman. The game excited much interest; the crowd
gathered round the table; bets ran high; the vanity of Legard, as well as
his interest, was implicated in the conflict. It was soon evident that
the Frenchman played as well as the Englishman. The stakes, at first
tolerably high, were doubled. Legard betted freely. Cards went against
him; he lost much, lost all that he had, lost more than he had, lost
several hundreds, which he promised to pay the next morning. The table
was broken up, the spectators separated. Amongst the latter had been one
Englishman, introduced into the club for the first time that night. He
had neither played nor betted, but had observed the game with a quiet and
watchful interest. This Englishman lodged at the same hotel as Legard.
He was at Venice only for a day; the promised sight of a file of English
newspapers had drawn him to the club; the general excitement around had
attracted him to the table; and once there, the spectacle of human
emotions exercised its customary charm.

On ascending the stairs that conducted to his apartment, the Englishman
heard a deep groan in a room the door of which was ajar. He paused, the
sound was repeated; he gently pushed open the door and saw Legard seated
by a table, while a glass on the opposite wall reflected his working and
convulsed countenance, with his hands trembling visibly, as they took a
brace of pistols from the case.

The Englishman recognized the loser at the club; and at once divined the
act that his madness or his despair dictated. Legard twice took up one
of the pistols, and twice laid it down irresolute; the third time he rose
with a start, raised the weapon to his head, and the next moment it was
wrenched from his grasp.