"What on earth is the matter with him?" they asked. "Is he ill, or in a trance, or what?" Villebois drew Riche on one side, and they held a short consultation in hurried whispers. "Don't be alarmed, Riche," said Villebois. "What would be very serious in the case of ordinary people is not so with Delapine. I know him well, and whenever he goes into this state he is sure to do something surprising and far beyond the powers of common mortals like ourselves. My advice is to slip away quietly and return to the ladies. Whatever you do, don't wake him, but let him come round by himself." So saying he withdrew on tip-toe, the others following him silently out of the room. They returned to the breakfast table, and Riche with great forethought saw that breakfast was kept hot for Delapine when he should come down. "What an extraordinary man," said Violette to Marcel who was sitting next to her. "Yes, you would have had reason to say so if you had been in his room just now when Riche touched him and actually received a shock. It reminded me of an electric eel." "I was positively frightened when I saw him," said Payot. "He looked transfigured and his face was wax-like and quite motionless." "You need not be frightened, papa," said Renée, looking up. "Henri told me last night that he intended to go to the Casino this morning, and he would give the directors something to think about for a long time to come, and you know by now that when Henri says anything will happen it always does happen." "By Jove, there's nothing more certain," said Marcel. "It reminds me of Henry Smith's story of the difference between the judge and the bishop. It happened that the Master of Balliol was giving a dinner at which the careers of two of the men belonging to the College came up for discussion--one of whom had just been made a judge, and the other a bishop. "Which of the two is the greater man?" asked the master. "Oh," replied Smith, "the bishop of course. A judge after all can only say 'you be hanged,' whereas, the bishop can say 'you be damned.'" "Yes," the master rejoined, "that's all very fine, but when the bishop says 'you be damned,' there's no certainty that you will be damned, whereas, if the judge says 'you be hanged'--well, you jolly well _will be_ hanged." "Marcel you are incorrigible," said Riche, shaking with laughter. "But is Delapine really going to play at the Casino?" asked Villebois, as soon as they had ceased laughing. "He told Renée and me so, didn't he, Renée?" Renée nodded, and then added, "But I am certain of one thing, doctor, and that is he won't lose his money there. He has much too scientific a mind to take mere chances like the people we saw there yesterday. Besides, didn't he point out to us the fallacies of their systems?" "That's true," said Villebois half to himself. "Well, well, we shall see."