'Pstt!' she smilingly admonished him for breaking the rule of the saloons. 'Place this for me.'
It was a note for a thousand francs.
'This?' he said.
'Yes.'
'But where?'
'Choose,' she whispered. 'You are lucky. You will bring happiness.'
He did not know what he was doing, so madly whirled his brain, and, as the black enclosure happened to be nearest to him, he dropped the note there. The croupier at the end of the table manœuvred it with his rake, and called out to the centre: 'Billet de mille francs.' Then, when it was too late, Henry recollected that black had already turned up three times together. But in a moment black had won.
'I can quite understand the fascination this game has for people,' Henry thought.
'Leave them there,' said Cosette, pointing to the two notes for a thousand francs each. 'I like to follow the run.'
Black won again.