one of his former coachmen, an enormous fellow with the shoulders of

an ox and a high color. Now that he was trying his fortunes at race

meetings on the strength of some mysteriously obtained capital, the

count was doing his utmost to push him, confiding to him his secret

bets and treating him on all occasions as a servant to whom one

shows one's true character. Yet despite this protection, the man

had in rapid succession lost very heavy sums, and today he, too, was

playing his last card. There was blood in his eyes; he looked fit