"We hope that these gentlemen will forgive us for winning and walking off with their money. To-morrow, if you like, we will play again, and, with your aid, I hope we shall clear out my two nephews, which will, perhaps, cure them for their passion for play. If you succeed, doctor, the cure will be one of the best you have ever made."
It was not philanthropy, but his immense luck, and love of gambling, which made the doctor keep his appointment.
He came the next evening at the usual hour, and found the nephews already there.
To fulfil his duties as physician, he felt the pulse of his patient, and found him so much better, that without more ado, he pronounced himself ready to begin their game.
The table was placed, as on the previous evening, close to the bedside of the patient, to enable him to join in the amusement.
In order to plunder the poor doctor more speedily, they allowed him at first to gain a few napoleons.
This voluntary loss is in the language of sharpers called the "bait," and allows them to double their stakes without causing suspicion, enabling them to gain their ends more easily and quickly.
As soon as the stakes rose, and the play was for nothing less than bank-notes, the luck immediately turned.
The doctor, hitherto so lucky, suddenly found himself losing everything. At the end of the evening, he was a loser to the extent of thirty thousand francs (1200l.).
All along it is easy to perceive, there had been but one victim. The losses of Andréas had been but imaginary, and were only assumed, to prevent suspicion on the part of his victim, and would of course be returned to him by his accomplices.