He kept his word, in spite of all
temptations to the contrary, and never touched a card--a circumstance
which drove him to take a fair amount of exercise, and, in consequence,
he steadily improved in health. He was sometimes chaffed by his
companions for his abstinence from play; they should have thought he was
the last man to be afraid of losing his money.
"You are right, so far," he would answer, drily; "but the fact is, I
have had enough of winning."
To which they would reply:
"Oh yes, we dare say," an elliptical expression, which conveyed
disbelief.
He never told them the story of his Monte Carlo experiences; but in the
vacations he would often talk to honest John about them. We may be sure
that that faithful retainer did not go unrewarded for his fraudulent
act.
BIANCA, By W. E. Norris
Not long since, I was one among a crowd of nobodies at a big official
reception in Paris when the Marchese and Marchesa di San Silvestro were
announced. There was a momentary hush; those about the doorway fell back
to let this distinguished couple pass, and some of us stood on tiptoe to
get a glimpse of them; for San Silvestro is a man of no small importance
in the political and diplomatic world, and his wife enjoys quite a
European fame for beauty and amiability, having had opportunities of
displaying both these attractive gifts at the several courts where she
has acted as Italian ambassadress.
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