"'What! You have forgotten it already? I'll recall it to your mind. Art. 4—It is understood between the contracting parties that, on each day during the voyage, without any exception unless in case of sickness, a _partie_ at cards shall be played by M M. de Morin and Delange—we have been hours on our voyage; you are not ill—to that, in my capacity of doctor, I certify—and I am, therefore, in a position to exact the fulfilment of the contract.' "'In a railway carriage?' exclaimed M. de Morin, in a tone of incredulity. "'No place is excepted,' observed the doctor, with his calmest manner. 'Will you kindly remember that another article of this contract gives me, and you also, the right of deciding that the _partie_ shall come off even in the middle of a river, with one's feet in the water, or on the top of a mountain, with one's head in the clouds. Our present situation is rather more convenient than either of those, and there is no obstacle whatever—' "'Except that we have no cards,' interrupted the painter. "'I took good care to provide myself with two packs,' said M. Delange, as he tore the cover off the small packet which he had taken out of his carpet bag. "'But we cannot play on our knees,' remonstrated M. de Morin, making one more effort at resistance. "'The seat will do very well for a card-table.' "'But there is not light enough.' "'I have provided for that,' replied the Doctor, as he took hold of his carpet bag once more, and produced a small lantern, placing it on the arm which separated the seats. "'Come along, then!' said M. de Morin, making a virtue of necessity. 'You have an answer to every objection, but deuce take me if I thought of being called upon to-day!' "'For my part,' replied the Doctor, 'I have been, for the last six weeks, awaiting this moment with a feverish impatience. Only think for an instant! I have never, in the whole course of my life, been so long without playing, and if this species of privation had gone on much longer I should have been taken ill.' "'You are incorrigible,' said M. de Morin, laughing. 'In my innocence, I said to myself, he has forgotten our contract, and he is undertaking this journey for the mere pleasure of travelling.' "'So I am, but that does not hinder us from playing cards for an hour or two each day.' "'All right. What is the game to be? You are the loser, and so have your choice.' "'Ecarté, if you have no objection.' "'I have no voice in the matter,' exclaimed the painter, with an air of resignation. 'In accordance with our contract I am your slave, so écarté be it. One game for a thousand francs, is it not? I want to take up my dream, as soon as possible, where I left it.' "'Sorry to contradict you. We will play for five louis the trick only, so that the pleasure may last the longer.'