I do not care to mention the extent of it; it was such as I never thought the young man could pay.
Why, then, did I play for it?
Why waste days in private play with a mere bankrupt, when business seemingly much more profitable was to be done elsewhere?
My reason I boldly confess.

I wanted to win from Monsieur de Magny, not his money, but his intended wife, the Countess Ida.

Who can say that I had not a right to use ANY stratagem in this matter of love?
Or, why say love?
I wanted the wealth of the lady: I loved her quite as much as Magny did; I loved her quite as much as yonder blushing virgin of seventeen does who marries an old lord of seventy.

I followed the practice of the world in this; having resolved that marriage should achieve my fortune.
I used to make Magny, after his losses, give me a friendly letter of acknowledgment to some such effect as this,-- 'MY DEAR MONSIEUR DE BALIBARI,--I acknowledge to have lost to you this day at lansquenet [or picquet, or hazard, as the case may be: I was master of him at any game that is played] the sum of three hundred ducats, and shall hold it as a great kindness on your part if you will allow the debt to stand over until a future day, when you shall receive payment from your very grateful humble servant.' With the jewels he brought me I also took the precaution (but this was my uncle's idea, and a very good one) to have a sort of invoice, and a letter begging me to receive the trinkets as so much part payment of a sum of money he owed me.
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.