e sea lapped in soft caress.... Cannes with its far-flung draperies of white villas.... The proud solemnity of the Alpes Maritimes thrusting up to the snow-line and glinting white

darkness tease one to longing for the sight of the azure coves dotted with white

great ambitions. Scenery was no use to him. His delight lay in men and women and the using of th

hat drew the whole world to the gaming tables to pay homage to the goddess Fortune. For a moment the suggestion came to him to buy up some beautiful islet and build a plea

ad exchanged greetings. A strong desire had sprung up to see this mysterious relat

'-the-wisp," an

ious. Why doesn't he write? Bad form, you know. But when a man's lived all his li

masterful purpose of mind, showing in every line of his face, attracted her strongly. Olive worshi

been given to Sir Francis Letchmere's valet that he was to bring over

ables. Here was the raw material of his craft-human nature. Moths around a candle-well, h

a mental note to use it for his own ends. She took a seat at a roulette table and asked him to advise

en born lucky," she

cisive confidence. Though he had keen pride in his intellect and his will, he had also

and she exchanged little gay pleasant

," said Larssen after an hour or so, when a spell

iked his masterful orders. Here was a

e advised suddenly when they h

it whizzed round the roulette board like an echo round the whispering gallery of St Paul's. At length it slowed down, hit against a metal deflector, and dropped sharply into one of the thirty-se

notes were push

to Larssen with a telegram in his hand.

it?" as

imit on number 14," re

and two minutes later a pile of bank-notes aggregating

!" she whispe

y call to the 'ph

was from Sylves

d. Fourteen J. Rivière's