When I had put him in such a position as I deemed favourable to my intentions, I spoke to him candidly, and without any reserve, as one man of the world should speak to another.  ’I will not, my dear fellow,’ said I, ’pay you so bad a compliment as to suppose that you expect we are to go on playing at this rate much longer, and that there is any satisfaction to me in possessing more or less sheets of paper bearing your signature, and a series of notes of hand which I know you never can pay.  Don’t look fierce or angry, for you know Redmond Barry is your master at the sword; besides, I would not be such a fool as to fight a man who owes me so much money; but hear calmly what I have to propose.

’You have been very confidential to me during our intimacy of the last month; and I know all your personal affairs completely.  You have given your word of honour to your grandfather never to play upon parole, and you know how you have kept it, and that he will disinherit you if he hears the truth.  Nay, suppose he dies to-morrow, his estate is not sufficient to pay the sum in which you are indebted to me; and, were you to yield me up all, you would be a beggar, and a bankrupt too.

’Her Highness the Princess Olivia denies you nothing.  I shall not ask why; but give me leave to say, I was aware of the fact when we began to play together.’

’Will you be made baron-chamberlain, with the grand cordon of the order?’ gasped the poor fellow.  ’The Princess can do anything with the Duke.’

‘I shall have no objection,’ said I, ’to the yellow riband and the gold key; though a gentleman of the house of Ballybarry cares little for the titles of the German nobility.  But this is not what I want.  My good Chevalier, you have hid no secrets from me.  You have told me with what difficulty you have induced the Princess Olivia to consent to the project of your union with the Grafinn Ida, whom you don’t love.  I know whom you love very well.’

‘Monsieur de Balibari!’ said the discomfited Chevalier; he could get out no more.  The truth began to dawn upon him.

‘You begin to understand,’ continued I.  ‘Her Highness the Princess’ (I said this in a sarcastic way) ’will not be very angry, believe me, if you break off your connection with the stupid Countess.  I am no more an admirer of that lady than you are; but I want her estate.  I played you for that estate, and have won it; and I will give you your bills and five thousand ducats on the day I am married to it.’

‘The day I am married to the Countess,’ answered the Chevalier, thinking to have me, ’I will be able to raise money to pay your claim ten times over’ (this was true, for the Countess’s property may have been valued at near half a million of our money); ’and then I will discharge my obligations to you.  Meanwhile, if you annoy me by threats, or insult me again as you have done, I will use that influence, which, as you say, I possess, and have you turned out of the duchy, as you were out of the Netherlands last year.’