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- Мари Корелли
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- Стр. 66/279
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A
discreet
looking
man-servant
in
sober
black
made
his
appearance
,
and
at
a
slight
sign
from
his
mistress
who
bowed
to
me
as
I
passed
her
,
proceeded
to
show
us
upstairs
.
We
trod
on
a
carpet
of
the
softest
felt
--
in
fact
I
noticed
that
everything
was
rendered
as
noiseless
as
possible
in
this
establishment
,
the
very
doors
being
covered
with
thick
baize
and
swinging
on
silent
hinges
.
On
the
upper
landing
,
the
servant
knocked
very
cautiously
at
a
side-door
--
a
key
turned
in
the
lock
,
and
we
were
admitted
into
a
long
double
room
,
very
brilliantly
lit
with
electric
lamps
,
which
at
a
first
glance
seemed
crowded
with
men
playing
at
rouge
et
noir
and
baccarat
.
Some
looked
up
as
Lucio
entered
and
nodded
smilingly
--
others
glanced
inquisitively
at
me
,
but
our
entrance
was
otherwise
scarcely
noticed
.
Lucio
drawing
me
along
by
the
arm
,
sat
down
to
watch
the
play
--
I
followed
his
example
and
presently
found
myself
infected
by
the
intense
excitement
which
permeated
the
room
like
the
silent
tension
of
the
air
before
a
thunderstorm
.
I
recognised
the
faces
of
many
well
known
public
men
--
men
eminent
in
politics
and
society
whom
one
would
never
have
imagined
capable
of
supporting
a
gambling
club
by
their
presence
and
authority
.
But
I
took
care
to
betray
no
sign
of
surprise
,
and
quietly
observed
the
games
and
the
gamesters
with
almost
as
impassive
a
demeanour
as
that
of
my
companion
.
I
was
prepared
to
play
and
to
lose
--
I
was
not
prepared
however
for
the
strange
scene
which
was
soon
to
occur
and
in
which
I
,
by
force
of
circumstances
was
compelled
to
take
a
leading
part
.
As
soon
as
the
immediate
game
we
were
watching
was
finished
,
the
players
rose
,
and
greeted
Lucio
with
a
good
deal
of
eagerness
and
effusion
.
I
instinctively
guessed
from
their
manner
that
they
looked
upon
him
as
an
influential
member
of
the
club
,
a
person
likely
to
lend
them
money
to
gamble
with
,
and
otherwise
to
oblige
them
in
various
ways
,
financially
speaking
.
He
introduced
me
to
them
all
,
and
I
was
not
slow
to
perceive
the
effect
my
name
had
upon
most
of
them
.
I
was
asked
if
I
would
join
in
a
game
of
baccarat
,
and
I
readily
consented
.
The
stakes
were
ruinously
high
,
but
I
had
no
need
to
falter
for
that
.
One
of
the
players
near
me
was
a
fair-haired
young
man
,
handsome
in
face
and
of
aristocratic
bearing
--
he
had
been
introduced
to
me
as
Viscount
Lynton
.
I
noticed
him
particularly
on
account
of
the
reckless
way
he
had
of
doubling
his
stakes
suddenly
and
apparently
out
of
mere
bravado
,
and
when
he
lost
,
as
he
mostly
did
,
he
laughed
uproariously
as
though
he
were
drunk
or
delirious
.
On
first
beginning
to
play
I
was
entirely
indifferent
as
to
the
results
of
the
game
,
caring
nothing
at
all
as
to
whether
I
had
losses
or
gains
.
Lucio
did
not
join
us
,
but
sat
apart
,
quietly
observant
,
and
watching
me
,
so
I
fancied
,
more
than
anyone
.
And
as
chance
would
have
it
,
all
the
luck
came
my
way
,
and
I
won
steadily
.
The
more
I
won
the
more
excited
I
became
,
till
presently
my
humour
changed
and
I
was
seized
by
a
whimsical
desire
to
lose
.
I
suppose
it
was
the
touch
of
some
better
impulse
in
my
nature
that
made
me
wish
this
for
young
Lynton
's
sake
.
For
he
seemed
literally
maddened
by
my
constant
winnings
,
and
continued
his
foolhardy
and
desperate
play
--
his
young
face
grew
drawn
and
sharply
thin
,
and
his
eyes
glittered
with
a
hungry
feverishness
.
The
other
gamesters
,
though
sharing
in
his
run
of
ill-luck
,
seemed
better
able
to
stand
it
,
or
perhaps
they
concealed
their
feelings
more
cleverly
--
anyhow
I
know
I
caught
myself
very
earnestly
wishing
that
this
devil
's
luck
of
mine
would
desert
me
and
set
in
the
young
Viscount
's
direction
.
But
my
wishes
were
no
use
--
again
and
again
I
gathered
up
the
stakes
,
till
at
last
the
players
rose
,
Viscount
Lynton
among
them
.
"
Well
,
I
'm
cleaned
out
!
"
he
said
,
with
a
loud
forced
laugh
.
"
You
must
give
me
my
chance
of
a
revanche
to-morrow
,
Mr
Tempest
!
"
I
bowed
.
"
With
pleasure
!
"
He
called
a
waiter
at
the
end
of
the
room
to
bring
him
a
brandy
and
soda
,
and
meanwhile
I
was
surrounded
by
the
rest
of
the
men
,
all
of
them
repeating
the
Viscount
's
suggestion
of
a
'
revanche
,
'
and
strenuously
urging
upon
me
the
necessity
of
returning
to
the
club
the
next
night
in
order
to
give
them
an
opportunity
of
winning
back
what
they
had
lost
.
I
readily
agreed
,
and
while
we
were
in
the
midst
of
talk
,
Lucio
suddenly
addressed
young
Lynton
.
"
Will
you
make
up
another
game
with
me
?
"
he
inquired
.
"
I
'll
start
the
bank
with
this
,
"
--
and
he
placed
two
crisp
notes
of
five
hundred
pounds
each
on
the
table
.
There
was
a
moment
's
silence
.
The
Viscount
was
thirstily
drinking
his
brandy-and-soda
,
and
glanced
over
the
rim
of
his
tall
tumbler
at
the
notes
with
covetous
bloodshot
eyes
--
then
he
shrugged
his
shoulders
indifferently
.
"
I
ca
n't
stake
anything
,
"
he
said
;
"
I
've
already
told
you
I
'm
cleaned
out
--
'
stony-broke
,
'
as
the
slang
goes
.
It
's
no
use
my
joining
.
"
