"It was Monsieur Blanc who took me aside, and handed me a small paper.
"'Take this and don't go in.'
"I looked at the paper: a check for a million. Humph! What can a man do with a million? And on noticing that I was crumpling it, and throwing it on the ground, the master of the Casino gave me another paper.
"'Make it five then, and go away.'
"Since this did not move me either, he kept on taking checks from all his pockets: ten million, fifteen, forty....
"My twelve counselors came forward with huge purses filled with bank notes; my escort cleared the way among the imploring crowd on the stairway; my horses were getting impatient, because certain connoisseurs had availed themselves of the crowding to take liberties with them.
"'One more word, Signor Spadoni: the last. We will cause a revolution, we will dethrone Albert, and give the crown of Monaco to you. If you like, you might marry the daughter of an Emperor: with money you can do anything. We have it and so have you....'
"'I have told you no! What I want is to get into that Casino, bust the whole business, and take away the keys.'
"This threat tore from him the supreme concession.
"'You shall be my partner; I will give you fifty per cent of the winnings. Don't you want to? Well then, seventy-five.'