which make six louis, and nearly another
louis in single florins, nearly seven louis
profit. Nearly the sixth of our rent. O,
Heaven is good—- too good to me. I do not
deserve such bounty; for only think what
it would have been had I lost all that!
What would have been my state of agony
and despair! Safe, rescued, restored, I
have done with them now for ever, for ever.
Ministers of Mephistopheles, you did your
best with me, but you have come out of the
fight rather the worse, I think. You had
nearly been successful, but you will not find
us all victims. Some of us are your match.
I feel so well and happy, I shall feast royally,
that is, treat myself to a little bottle of
Hockheimer. I have been so low, I want it.

To-day has quite an air of a festival. I see
the singing Diva. The little lady with the
marble face and projecting chin is singing,
and I think after my victories two or three
florins' worth of sweet music will be
welcome. I so love music, though not this
opera. I had wished for the melodious
Traviata, often promised and denied by
this tricky administration. To-night it is
Crispino, a sparkling little comic opera, full
of pretty tunes, and well suited to the tricks
and caprices of the little lady whom we
call a Diva, for the lack of a better one.
I must say I am a little dazzled by what
the administration have done in the way of
a theatre. A more gorgeous and elegant
little temple of its size it would not be
possible to frame. Well filled, charming
dresses, and elegant people. I see near me,
in ihe stalls, a little party whom I have
noticed often; a young girl, so strangely
like my Dora at home, that it makes me
start; the same rich dark hair, the same
refined turn in the face, the same look of
sparkling gaiety and enjoyment which was
Dora's attraction, with large heavy Italian
earrings that seemed almost Indian in shape.
A dull Englishman beside her talked and
whispered the whole time, and prevented
her attending to the music—I dare say
thought he was recommending himself
vastly. I could wish she had snubbed him
as he deserved. I am in such spirits and
shall go out now, have a cup of coffee and
chocolate, and then walk about the gardens
in the balmy night air, looking up at the
illuminated terrace. I have grown quite
fond of that pacing up and down in these
gardens so late. Such dreams and speculations
have  floated before me there as I look up to
the calm and placid sky over the trees!

I can almost smile at myself and my
awful state yesterday. I am far too sensitive,
and I am sure if any of these good
and proper people here—had they lost
money even that did not belong to them—
would take it quietly enough. Their
withers would not be wrung on such
provocation, and they would make some
complacent excuses to themselves. Some
would say I was scrupulous, too
scrupulous; which would be according to their
imperfect lights. How can they tell, or
what can they know'? I pierce deeper,
and can tell them it was another matter,
some thousand miles away, I was thinking
of. It was my Dora and home that was
present to me—her dear letter and
distresses. "A dark cloud," she wrote, in
her graphic style, "which will pass away."
This was what was overshadowing me.
This unselfish motive, as indeed, without
vanity, I may call it. I was not thinking
of a trumpery loss, and of such poor
contemptible enemies, whose game is in my
hands, and who are almost children to me
at their own weapons and machinery,
which take in a few fools, and them only.
And, by the way, how curious the analogy
here, even to morals and virtue. What a
testimony to the great and good advice,
which so often goes in at one ear and out
at the other, not to be dispirited at a
reverse, but "bide your time." Even to
their debasing chicanery that golden rule
applies. Valuable lesson, indeed; though
I had a distinct idea there could be no
doubt about it. There is a uniformity in
all these dispensations which applies
universally; and thus,à  la Jaques, we find
good in everything.

What a thing the sense of power is!
Poor "huckaback" minds of the common
cheap pattern, never can look beyond the
immediate moment. Defeat or repulse for
a time is with them defeat for ever. They
cannot understand the masterly policy of
retreat preparatory to an advance—the
"reculer pour mieux sauter." The timid
and ignorant dabbler in the funds sells on
a fall; the spirited speculator holds and
buys more. So with your common vulgar
players, who fly disheartened by a loss.
The rascals who hold the tables know this
well. They thought I would have done
the same. I am tempted to try and give
them a lesson once and for ever. It would
be a bit of triumph to show them my skill
fairly, and I do not see that I am bound to
show them any quarter. They would have
shown me none yesterday. Our government
gives the criminal no quarter, and
takes his spoil from him. I dare say when I