come out. The players held their respiration, and only breathed by

gasps. The Prince received another club; Geraldine had a diamond;

but when Mr. Malthus turned up his card a horrible noise, like that

of something breaking, issued from his mouth; and he rose from his

seat and sat down again, with no sign of his paralysis. It was the

ace of spades. The honorary member had trifled once too often with

his terrors.

Conversation broke out again almost at once. The players relaxed

their rigid attitudes, and began to rise from the table and stroll

back by twos and threes into the smoking-room. The President

stretched his arms and yawned, like a man who has finished his

day's work. But Mr. Malthus sat in his place, with his head in his

hands, and his hands upon the table, drunk and motionless - a thing

stricken down.

The Prince and Geraldine made their escape at once. In the cold

night air their horror of what they had witnessed was redoubled.

"Alas!" cried the Prince, "to be bound by an oath in such a matter!

to allow this wholesale trade in murder to be continued with profit

and impunity! If I but dared to forfeit my pledge!"

"That is impossible for your Highness," replied the Colonel, "whose

honour is the honour of Bohemia. But I dare, and may with

propriety, forfeit mine."

"Geraldine," said the Prince, "if your honour suffers in any of the

adventures into which you follow me, not only will I never pardon

you, but - what I believe will much more sensibly affect you - I

should never forgive myself."

"I receive your Highness's commands," replied the Colonel. "Shall

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