"You see a little table with a lot of little, numbered holes. They hand you a dicebox, with some balls; you throw the balls on the table at random, and they roll into the holes; then they add up the numbers and give you the prize corresponding to the total. The big prizes are never won; you never get the silver watch, the piece of plate, or the drinking cup, that they show to entice you; but a flint and steel, or a save-all—that's all your twenty sous ever wins."
"Very pretty, indeed! a choice lot they must be! But what did you mean just now when you sung out: 'I've got it! I know how it's done!'"
"Oh! that's the most popular of all the games—biribi."
"I'll show you that; you play it with just three cards, see; and one of 'em's biribi. Look, the ace of hearts! Now, to win, all you have to do is guess where biribi is. But the croupier's skill consists in always showing you the under card, and that is always biribi; then he moves his cards this way and that, and you think you can follow it with your eyes. Like this: now, follow the ace of hearts, follow it carefully; do you know which of the three it is now?"
Sans-Cravate, who had kept his eyes on the cards, placed his hand on one of them, saying:
"This is the ace of hearts."
"How much do you bet?"
"A glass of beer."
"Done!"