This was taking a short cut to Bernardi's friendship.
"What is your limit to-night?"
"Five hundred dollars," was the reply.
Bernardi then placed four hundred dollars on the nine spot, and, a moment later, he was again a winner. He now seemed satisfied, for he presented his "chips" for payment, and received cash therefor. The proprietor then invited Bernardi and Newton to drink with him, and, while standing at the sideboard, the proprietor asked Bernardi whether he had many acquaintances in the city.
"No," replied Bernardi, "I have very few; why do you ask?"
"Because one of them is your enemy, or else he was trying to play a trick on the 'bank' this morning," continued the proprietor, watching Bernardi narrowly. "He came in about noon, and wanted the cards put up so that you should be cleaned out of all your money."
"The devil you say!" ejaculated Bernardi; "why did he want to clean me out?"
"That I can't say; but he told me that he had a bitter grudge against you, and that he would give a great deal to injure you."
"I do not know any one here who could say that of me," replied Bernardi, thoughtfully. "There is only one man in the city who knows me intimately, and I do not see why he should wish me to lose, even if he did hate me. Was he a South American, like myself?"
"No; he might have been a foreigner, but he was not dark-complexioned."