"Messieurs," said Dupétrain, decidedly embarrassed, "I swear to you that this is nothing of any consequence, and that the Burgundian rustic misapprehended my intentions. For what did I propose to do? simply make an experiment in magnetism on that dull, brutish temperament. I said to myself: 'If I can succeed in putting that countrywoman into a trance, what an extraordinary proof it will be of the power of my art!'" "Yes; and he took off Crevette's bedclothes, so that he could see that dull temperament." "Messieurs, to put myself in communication with a subject, it is necessary----" "Enough! we don't want to hear any more. To the card table!" "Why! someone is missing," said Mouillot. "That's so. Tobie isn't here. Can he have gone away? It isn't possible." They searched the studio, thinking that he had hidden, to play a trick on them; but they found that he had really gone. "Oh! he'd been itching to go for a long while," said Balivan. "Yes, ever since he changed his fetich." "That's a very convenient dodge," observed Mouillot; "he had at least four hundred and fifty francs left of the change for his olive, and he's gone off with it.--Varinet, you have a fetich of very doubtful value." Varinet calmly wrapped the olive in a piece of paper and put it back in his pocket. "Do you think that that young man is capable of leaving this pledge in my hands?" he said. "I believe that he will come to my house to redeem it." "Oh! he'll redeem it," said Albert; "I have no doubt of that." But Célestin shook his head. "Perhaps he will," he murmured; "but he's quite capable of forgetting his debt, and I fancy you'll have to remind him of it. Don't lose your fetich." "For my part," said Mouillot, "I wouldn't give three francs for that olive." The young men resumed their game, after saying good-night to Dupétrain, whom Balivan escorted to the landing, to make sure that he did not mistake his road and return to make another attempt to put his servant in a trance. For an hour longer, the game was very brisk. At the end of that time, Albert, who had lost twelve hundred francs, threw himself on the couch, saying: "I've had enough, messieurs; I am going to sleep here till daylight." The other four young men continued the game for some time. At last, Célestin, who had won largely and had no desire to lose what he had won, pretended that he too was sleepy, and lay down on the divan. Mouillot, Balivan, and Varinet played on for a considerable time, until Balivan, having lost heavily, left the table, saying: "I am going to bed." "Now it's between us," said Mouillot to the young man with white eyebrows; "a _brûlot_." "What! can two play bouillotte?" "Oh, yes! and it's very interesting. It's for the one whose turn it is to bet, to speak; if he sees nothing in his hand, he puts in a chip, and the other does the same. It's a game you can play a long while without saying a word, as you pass very often."