"I shall be here in ten minutes."
And the fair-haired beau vanished with his confederate, Bruneau. Nonore sighed, but continued to play. She vanquished her opponent, who lost every game. Did he do it as a matter of courtesy, or was luck constantly on the young woman's side? She kept saying to him:
"Mon Dieu! monsieur, it must vex you to lose all the time!"
"No, madame; far from it."
"When you have had enough, we will stop."
"Oh! I never have enough, when I have the pleasure—when I am playing with—a person——Four aces, madame."
"Mark them, monsieur."
Midnight found Callé still at bézique with Madame Dubotté, who had won four francs, but was beginning to yawn. When the clock struck twelve, she said:
"You see, monsieur; this is what my husband means by ten minutes!"
"He must have been detained, madame, or his watch has stopped."