replied the treacherous Cerise, ’would to God you had won a thousand pistoles of him, and I went your halves; we should not be long without our money.’  I wanted no further encouragement to meditate the ruin of the high-crowned hat.  I went nearer to him, in order to take a closer survey; never was such a bungler; he made blots upon blots; God knows, I began to feel some remorse at winning of such an ignoramus, who knew so little of the game.  He lost his reckoning; supper was served up; and I desired him to sit next me.  It was a long table, and there were at least five-and-twenty in company, notwithstanding the landlord’s promise.  The most execrable repast that ever was begun being finished, all the crowd insensibly dispersed, except the little Swiss, who still kept near me, and the landlord, who placed himself on the other side of me.  They both smoked like dragoons; and the Swiss was continually saying, in bad French, ‘I ask your pardon, sir, for my great freedom,’ at the same time blowing such whiffs of tobacco in my face as almost suffocated me.  Mr. Cerise, on the other hand, desired he might take the liberty of asking me whether I had ever been in his country? and seemed surprised I had so genteel an air, without having travelled in Switzerland.

“The little chub I had to encounter was full as inquisitive as the other.  He desired to know whether I came from the army in Piedmont; and having told him I was going thither, he asked me, whether I had a mind to buy any horses; that he had about two hundred to dispose of, and that he would sell them cheap.  I began to be smoked like a gammon of bacon; and being quite wearied out, both with their tobacco and their questions, I asked my companion if he would play for a single pistole at backgammon, while our men were supping; it was not without great ceremony that he consented, at the same time asking my pardon for his great freedom.

“I won the game; I gave him his revenge, and won again.  We then played double or quit; I won that too, and all in the twinkling of an eye; for he grew vexed, and suffered himself to be taken in so that I began to bless my stars for my good fortune.  Brinon came in about the end of the third game, to put me to bed, he made a great sign of the cross, but paid no attention to the signs I made him to retire.  I was forced to rise to give him that order in private.  He began to reprimand me for disgracing myself by keeping company with such a low-bred wretch.  It was in vain that I told him he was a great merchant, that he had a great deal of money, and that he played like a child.  ‘He a merchant,’ cried Brinon.  ’Do not believe that, sir!  May the devil take me, if he is not some conjurer.’  ‘Hold your tongue, old fool,’ said I; ’he is no more a conjurer than you are, and that is decisive; and, to prove it to you, I am resolved to win four or five hundred pistoles of him before I go to bed.  With these words I turned him out, strictly enjoining him not to return, or in any manner to disturb us.