XL
THE BANKER
Cherami's left eye was so badly damaged, and retained so long the marks of the blow it had received, that the ex-beau was obliged to keep his room six weeks, because he did not choose to go out with a bandage across his face.
Madame Louchard, who was frequently intrusted with the duty of dressing the wounded organ, said one day to her tenant:
"How in the world did you get that trump?"
"You call that a trump, my amiable hostess! It would be a deuced fine hand which was full of such trumps!"
"You fought another duel, did you, hot-head?"
"I am forced to confess that I was beaten this time; I wasn't strong enough; there was a whole regiment against me."
"That wasn't done by a sword, was it?"
"No, unluckily! A sword puts your eye out, but doesn't force it out of your head. But I got it for the sake of two girls!"
"Aha! so you must have two at once! God! what good reason I have to hate men!"