But his creditor's presence annoyed and embarrassed him; he could not pay attention to his game, he lost his head completely, and his money slowly but surely passed into his adversary's possession. Dubourg suggested doubling, then trebling, the stakes; the rich squire agreed, for he could not refuse monsieur le baron. A large part of the company stood about the table, which was covered with five-hundred-franc notes; and Monsieur Durosey planted himself exactly in front of Dubourg, who could not raise his eyes without meeting his creditor's, and who, to fill his cup to the brim, had the worst possible luck. In half an hour, the travelling fund had passed into other hands, and Dubourg rose, saying that he was going to get some more money. But as he was looking about for his friend Chambertin, to borrow a few thousand francs, with which he hoped to recover what he had lost,--for a gambler continues to hope until he is on his death-bed,--the former restaurant keeper, who had not lost sight of him, joined him in a window recess. It was impossible to avoid him. "How is Monsieur Dubourg?" he asked, with a roguish air. "Dubourg? what do you mean by Dubourg?" replied the pretended baron, working his nose and mouth more violently than ever. "Oh! I have the honor to recognize monsieur," retorted the creditor, in a louder tone; "but I didn't know that he was a Polish baron----" "Hush! not another word, my dear Monsieur Durosey," said Dubourg, seeing that it was impossible to hoodwink his interlocutor. "I didn't recognize you at first, but now I place you perfectly. I am delighted to see you." "The same with me, monsieur. You seem to be in very comfortable circumstances now, staking five hundred francs at once at écarté, and I trust that you will pay me the four hundred francs you----" "Yes, yes, with great pleasure; I will give them to you this very evening. When I left Paris, I forgot that trifling debt." "But I called on monsieur more than twenty times when he lived on the fifth floor on Rue d'Enfer, and again on Rue de----" "Hush! I know all about that; silence, Monsieur Durosey! Since then, I have come into my property, and my titles--I will pay you in a moment." "Oh! in that case, monsieur le baron may be assured that this will remain a secret between us." Dubourg walked away from Monsieur Durosey and once more looked about for Chambertin, when that gentleman entered the salon, crying: "Come into the garden, everybody; we are going to set off the fireworks." "I have a favor to ask of you," said Dubourg, walking up to him. "After the fireworks, monsieur le baron, I shall be entirely at your service. Be good enough to go to the summer-house; I flatter myself that you will be able to see as well there as you did before; my wife will take you there." And Chambertin hurried away, with a mischievous air, while Dubourg said to himself: "Parbleu! it's decidedly amusing that he should send me to the summer-house with his wife."