"I understand very well. What the deuce do you take me for, a caitiff? That is all right. You have a golden place. The marquis is generous, is he not?" "Yes." "You earn at least twenty pistoles a year." "Double that." "Fortunate rascal. When I say rascal, you are the most perfectly honest man that I know. I even believe that you are the only one that I know. Good old Marcel! I am very much pleased to have met you again. I have looked for you all over, in the gambling houses and in the gambling hells even." "Oh, I have not played for a long time." "Nonsense, you are joking." "No, since our adventure I have lost my taste for playing. To go to prison when one is innocent is very disagreeable." "Oh, well, old fellow, there are a good many thieves who don't go and that makes the balance correct. As for me, I confess that I still play. It amuses me. Besides, it is the pleasure of a great nobleman, and there is nothing more noble than to play and lose right down to your boots." "Since I am only a valet I have no need of following that fashion." "You are wrong. It is always necessary to follow the great. You played a very strong game of piquet." "Me? Oh, on the contrary, I am a very weak player." "Pure modesty. Hang it! I wish I could take a lesson from you. We have had our supper. While waiting for your master to come, let us play a game to pass the time." "That will be very difficult; for we have no cards here. When by chance I have found some upstairs which have been left by my master and his friends I have burned or sold them." "That is very awkward; and I, who have nearly always a pack in my pocket, necessarily left mine at home." "Wait, Chaudoreille! taste this liqueur. That will be much better than playing." Thus saying, Marcel filled two glasses with creme de vanille and placed one before his comrade. "Yes, I am very fond of liqueur," said Chaudoreille. "This has an exquisite perfume. We could have drunk and played at the same time." "But I tell you that I have not any cards." "You have some dice, at least." "No more than I have cards." "Mercy! Some dominoes?" "Nothing to play with, I tell you." "Devil stifle you! How shall we pass the time without playing? Oh, what a delightful idea! I have thought of a very agreeable little game which you will easily understand. You have before you a full glass of liqueur and I have the same. They are of equal size; I will play you a crown on the first fly." "What fly?" said Marcel. "Listen now. There are a good many flies in this room, and he whose glass is first visited by one of them will win a crown from the other. Is it agreed?" "That is a droll game, but I like it well enough." "In that case let's shake hands on it. That settled, attend to our play."