Confessions of a Young Lady

again at the eleven o'cl

r Lintorn's greeting to

Oh, Mdlle. de Fontanes'!

d li

he second course was serv

long time to

underst

til nearly two, and

of you to sit up

eyeglasses, looked his f

y, to play the part of mentor, you will have as litt

deuce do

ly a word to

they are not my fr

they were

ntrodu

d you? The l

sea a trying one, the sea had but enhanced her charms. They were quite a family party. M. de Fontanes even unbent so far as to express a hope that the two Englishmen would dine with them that same evening. They were but in a

d at six. Yet, owing to Mr Lintorn, it was half-past seven before they reached the Rue des Anges. Mr Davison was perspiring with r

s not yet reached an age at which punc

g was gr

e. de Fontanes--" b

lady cut

he said. "It is so

g for speech--at least, at such a gathering. The young lady, observing his

Davison, we do

de Fon

not so eloquent as

nev

, and in such low tones, that only Mr Da

certain manner--which

but a boy. I will prove to you that

p, perhaps, for his lack of conversation, he had been drinking all the time. When they re

es, I hope fo

went to his side

sked

to show you that écarté is one of the

wn. There was a curio

are old antagonists.

riabl

it is your

rha

sses small, yet it was curious to see the irritation with which Mr Lintorn saw his francs forsake him. He was playing with

nough!"

ked up in not un

ow

He turned to the lady. "Mdlle. de Fontanes,

of blank amazement followed his disappearance.

n ill?" his d

ok upon himse

lad he's gone. Now, M. de Fontanes, you have to reckon with me. For revenge! You

at down again to play. And they played on, and on, and on, hour after hour. Mr Davison continually lost. Fortune never varied; it was again

w such cards in all my life! And, when it

d have emptied that if his host's daughter had not, probably in a moment of abstraction, removed the case of liqueurs from the table. He

ather declared th

bad fortune,

raordinary! Never had such bad fortune in my life before. It isn't fair to ju

through his tablets. "Three thousa

ty francs! Why, that's a--that's a hu

um almost sobered him.

y again for

increased his sense of intoxication. The cool air of the early morning did not tend to lessen it. He went staggering over the cobblestones. On the quay he encountered

ht you were writi

quietly s

ow much hav

ou know I

ed his shoulders. "The m

't you say

rself if you had had your wits about

ou

ng tail and fleeing. So Mr Lintorn let him have it. Mr Davison lay on his back among the cobble-stones. Mr Lintorn advanced to his assistance. The recumbent hero greeted him with a v