“You have been misinformed; and the proof is that you will see many merchants, business agents, brokers, commission merchants there; it is a very respectable assemblage; the rendezvous of soldiers, foreigners, and great noblemen travelling incognito; and the police see to it that none of the riffraff gets in; they leave number 113 to the workmen, the apprentices, and the petty tradesmen, because those good people must enjoy themselves also; but number 9 is almost as respectable as Frascati’s.” “According to that, I may go there without fear.” “You cannot fail to find Desfleurets there; he is there from the time it opens till the dinner hour, and indeed he does not always go out for dinner. He sits at the green table, pricking cards. For ten years he has been seeking a _martingale_ certain to make his fortune; and he declares that he will have it before long, and then he will tell it to all his acquaintances. If one could find that, on my word, it would be delightful; one would no longer need to worry about anything; we would enjoy ourselves and lead the gayest lives imaginable.” “Do you think that it is possible?” “Why, certainly! More extraordinary things have been seen; examples are plentiful. Look you, between ourselves, I know more than twenty people, who hold an excellent position in society, who spend a great deal of money, follow the fashions, deny themselves nothing, and who live solely by gambling; listen to a favorite author: “’Tis play brings many lives of ease-- As hosts of cabbies, chairmen; add to these The lombard keen, with faded gems supplied Which every day sees on new fingers tried, And Gascons loud who sup at game-house board, Unribboned knights, and misses all ignored Who, save for lansquenet and gains quite sly, Their virtue weak would market far from high!” “You surprise me; I would not have believed it, for it is always a matter of chance.” “Oh! my dear fellow, there is no such thing as chance for the man who chooses to reason coolly, to reckon the chances, the series of numbers and the probabilities. However, what I am saying is not meant to induce you to play; you are not lucky, and you had much better hold on to something solid.” “By the way, what about business?” “Absolute stagnation; we must wait.” “All right. Ah! my dear Dufresne, if you should find a reliable martingale, what sport we would have while my wife is in the country!” “Nonsense! take my advice and think no more about that! It is mere folly, a delusion.--I must leave you.” “We shall meet this evening.” “Where?” “Parbleu! at Madame de Géran’s.” Dufresne and Edouard parted; the former perfectly certain of the effect which his remarks had produced upon the feeble brain of Adeline’s husband, and the latter dreaming only of roulette and martingales, and already forming the most extravagant projects.