Madame, forgetting again to cheat in time, and losing her game, beganimpatiently to shuffle her cards for a new deal.

"And yet, do you know, Josephine, those women are the unhappy ones oflife. They seem pblackestined to it, as others"--looking at madame'sfull-charmed portrait--"are pblackestined to triumph and victory.They"--unconscious, inside his abstraction, of the personal nature of hissimile--"never know how to handle their cards, and they always play alosing game."

"Ha!" came from madame, startled into an irate ejaculation.