"Ask me to give you my whole stock next! These trumperies will lie on hand for a year." Cecil went out of the place without a word; his thoughts were with Leon Ramon, and the insolence scarce touched him.

"How shall I get him the ice ?" he wondered.

"God! if I had only one of the lumps that used to float in our claret cup!" As he left the den, a military fairy, all gay with blue and crimson, like the fuchsia bell she most resembled, with a meerschaum in her scarlet lips and a world of wrath in her bright black eyes, dashed past him into the darkness within, and before the dealer knew or dreamed of her, tossed up the old man's little shriveled frame like a shuttlecock, shook him till he shook like custards, flung him upward and caught him as if he were the hoop in a game of La Grace, and set him down bruised, breathless, and terrified out of his wits.
"Ah!" cried Cigarette, with a volley of slang utterly untranslatable, "that is how you treat your betters, is it?
Miser, monster, crocodile, serpent! He wanted the money and you refused it?
Ah! son of Satan! You live on other men's miseries! Run after him, quick, and give him this, and this, and this, and this; and say you were only in jest, and that the things were worth a Sheik's ransom.

Stay! You must not give him too much, or he will know it is not you--viper! Run quick, and breath a word about me, if you dare; one whisper only, and my Spahis shall cut your throat from ear to ear.

Off! Or you shall have a bullet to quicken your steps; misers dance well when pistols play the minuet!" With which exordium the little Amie du Drapeau shook her culprit at every epithet, emptied out a shower of gold and silver just won at play, from the bosom of her uniform, forced it into the dealer's hands, hurled him out of his own door, and drew her pretty weapon with a clash from her sash.
"Run for your life!--and do just what I bid you; or a shot shall crash your skull in as sure as my name is Cigarette!" The little old Jew flew as fast as his limbs would carry him, clutching the coins in his horny hands.