"Do you know what has happened?"
"Yes—no. I believe you have lost a great deal of money at cards."
"Cards—was it? Let it be. It may as well be cards. Yes, child, I have lost a large sum of money at cards—and more," he added, setting his teeth, and speaking in a sort of hissing whisper—"more than I can exactly pay."
"Oh, papa! don't say so. Consider—only look round you. Surely you have the means to pay! We can sell—we can make any sacrifice—any sacrifice on earth to pay. Only think, there are all these things. There is all the plate—my mother's diamonds—there is——"
He let her run on a little while; then, in a cool, almost mocking tone, he said—
"I have given a bill of sale for all that, long ago."
"A bill of sale! What is a bill of sale?"
"Well! It's a thing which passes one man's property into the hands of another man, to make what he can of it. And the poor dupe who took my bill of sale, took it for twice as much as the things would really bring; but the rascal thought he had no alternative. I was a fool to give it to him, for the dice were loaded. If it were the last word I had to speak, I would say it—the dice were loaded——"
"But—but——"