In his phrase, she slept on it, though the fashion of the sleeping was a little strange. The next morning she sallied forth to put into execution the resolve at which she had arrived. I was early, though not so early as she would have wished, because, concluding that all Dieppe did not rise with the lark, she judged it as well to take her coffee and roll before she took the air. It promised to be a glorious day. The atmosphere was filled with a golden haze, through which the sun was gleaming. As she went through the gate of the Port d'Ouest she came upon a man who was selling little metal effigies of the flags of various nations. From him she made a purchase--the Stars and Stripes. This she pinned inside her blouse, on the left, smiling to herself as she did so. Then she marched straight off into the Casino. The _salle de jeu_ had but a single occupant, a _tourneur_ who was engaged in dusting the little horses. To enable him to perform the necessary offices he removed the steeds from their places one after the other. As it chanced he was the identical individual who had been responsible for the _course_ which had crowned 'Miss Doone' with victory. With that keen vision which is characteristic of his class the man recognised her on the instant. Bowing and smiling he held out to her the horse which he was holding. "_Vlà madame, le numéro cinq! C'est lui qui a porté le bonheur à madame_." It was, indeed, the horse which represented the number on which she had staked her five-franc piece. By an odd accident she had arrived just as its toilet was being performed. She observed what an excellent model it was with somewhat doubtful eyes, as if fearful of its being warranted neither steady nor free from vice. "I have brought back the seven five-franc pieces which I--took away with me." She held out the coins. As if at a loss he looked from them to her. "But, madame, I do not understand." "I can have nothing to do with money which is the fruit of gambling." "But madame played." "It was a misunderstanding. A mistake. It was not my intention. It is on that account I have come to return this money." "Return?--to whom?--the administration? The administration will not accept it. It is impossible. What it has lost it has lost; there is an end." "But I insist on returning it; and if I insist it must be accepted; especially when I tell you it is all a mistake." The _tourneur_ shrugged his shoulders.