Again the king won, and the banker, closing his game, handed Burton ten thousand dollars.

"So much for the accidents of life," said the senator. "From twenty dollars I have won ten thousand. Dr. Curtis, in a shorter time, lost nearly as much. How foolish it is for a man to come into a faro room with more money than he can spare with perfect convenience? Had I lost the twenty, I should hardly have known it."

CHAPTER XX.

When the banker redeemed Burton's checks, supper was announced. With some bustle and considerable rush the dining saloon was filled. The company was large. To a close observer it might have appeared that during the last half hour the number of persons in the rooms had been greatly increased. The visitors of the hell know the eating hours, and are apt to drop in to enjoy the feast.

On the present occasion Burton was the hero; he occupied the seat on the left of Prince Au-fait, who officiated at the head of the table. The prince did everything after the French manner; his words were all pronounced in the simpering style of a Virginian just six months out of Paris; his bow and the toss of his head were eminently French; his ruffles were French, his vest was French, his suspenders were French. He handled hot oysters with

his fingers, and ate crabs claws foremost. He did every thing with exultant motions. Talked and laughed as if moved by the sound of trumpets. When he did eat he seemed to be trying to keep up with a drum beating the roll, and when he ceased it was as if he was obeying the word halt.

The prince was particularly polite to Burton, laughed heartily at the senator's jokes, grew very familiar and even leaned over and spoke with him, sometimes in whispers, and was pleased to take a nod for a response.

The banquets at this hell were always rich. Much magnificence was displayed about the tables, in the massive elegance of the plate. Every delicacy of the market, served by the best cooks, was here to be found; and the wines, chiefly Champaigne, were of the best brands.

These banquets were free to all regular visitors of the house and their friends; sometimes fifty gentlemen were seated at table together. This assemblage was, of course, very promiscuous; senators, members and clerks of the house of representatives, commodores, with or without commissions, captains, strangers, citizens, small bankers, idlers, loafers, ropers and spies.

All these persons knew Burton; he knew many of them, for whenever he saw a man with a marked face, he was sure to inquire his name.

"Who's he with the bald head and short nose, sitting by himself eating cabbage with vinegar and cheese," said Burton to the prince.

"Col. Placid," said the prince, "the man that never loses. He visits here once a week, Friday night; and during ten years he has never lost a dollar at the bank! He does the same at the other houses, going to each, on regular nights, once a week."

"Does he win?"

"Yes, he has grown rich out of us. He begins with a stake of one hundred dollars; with this he wins ten and jumps. He never speaks to anybody. When he comes, he hands a hundred dollar bill to the banker; bets as he pleases-seemingly by no particular rule; risks, in various ways, the whole hundred for ten-never fails to win it in the end; then shoves up one hundred and ten dollars in chips to the dealer; receives the money and withdraws from the table; never drinks, but always steps to the cigar case, takes out half dozen of the best and retires. He has now an exchange office on street and promises soon to be a millionaire."

"A remarkable man, certainly," said Burton, "but you will yet crush him if he continues to come. That he has escaped so long is indeed a marvel."

"He never drinks, senator; and has no more soul than a pebble. We have despaired long since of being able to beat him. He has many peculiarities: never bets alone; never gives us a single-handed turn at him. I have known him to sit for hours reading advertisements in some newspaper, waiting for the table to be surrounded by others; and I never on any occasion saw him try to win more than ten

dollars. Once I remember he had won eleven by a miscalculation of his chips. He seemed to be much annoyed at this occurrence, and handed the extra chip back to the dealer, insisting upon not receiving the money for it."

"He then has a system and rigidly adheres to it under all circumstances," said Burton. "Many of us imagine that we have system, but how few of us have the iron nerve to adhere to it? How impossible to do so in the pursuit of fortune by the chances?"

"Who's that," continued Burton, "with the long nose and sharp, restless eye; that pale, student-like fellow, just taking wine?"

"Mr. F. He is just getting through the last remains of his patrimonial estate. Two years ago he came into possession of forty negroes and a splendid farm in Maryland. There is little of it left. The negroes were sold and the money spent the first year; the land is now mortgaged for twice its value. A span of dogs, a double-barreled shot gun and a goldheaded cane are about all his fortune now; but he retains his vivacity, and is gay and graceful. If you don't wish to be sympathetically interested you had better avoid him. By the way, he's a poet and is ambitious in that line."

At this moment the young man arose and approached the head of the table, evidently expecting that the prince would introduce him to Burton. But the prince, after the remarks just made, did not feel at liberty to do so; so Mr. F presented himself. Seating himself in front of the senator, on the right

of the prince, he remarked: "Senator Burton, you will pardon me if I take the liberty of introducing myself to you. I have heard you speak several times in the senate and have long desired to make your acquaintance. I have just now heard of the splendid run you had on the bank to-night, and I congratulate you. Will you do me the honor to allow me a glass of wine with you?"

Certainly," said Burton, and he lifted glasses with the stranger.

"And you got 'em for ten thousand dollars did you?" said the youth, growing familiar and earnest, "That was glorious! They have many times ten thousand of my money, and it does me good to hear of some one raking 'em. But I can't do it. I have visited this house for years and I do not think I ever left it without empty pockets."

"You were unfortunate."

"Yes, the fates are against me. I have lost a handsome estate in two years."

'Why do you continue to bet?"

"It is easy to ask, and not easy to answer. I have no reason, except an indefinable propensity to risk money, and an intense belief that the chances would at some time enable me to regain a part of my fortune. I once thought I had discovered the secret by which I could beat the bank, and did frequently do it for hours together, but my plan was not infallible, and from my inveterate disposition to hang on to the last, I generally quit loser. I now think I have a plan, senator, by which, as