THE ACE OF HEARTS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VIII, Issue 48, 28 November 1891, Page 627

THE ACE OF HEARTS.

HESE Russians are certainly differently eonstituted from us. With their temperament of wwIBkC refined civilization and savage barbarism,They do the most astounding things in the most unexpected way. It was thus Boris Mirskhow amazed me yesterday by relating, in the coolest, most V-.y.'<7i nonchalant manner, the strange end of his flirtation with Princess de Z . Now, this handsome blond Boris is a delightful comrade, charming, suave, with the doll-baby face of a woman, the last one in the world I would ever imagine such a wild, extraordinary adventure could happen to. It makes me shudder to thinK of it. ‘ You knew the Prince de Z ,’ he said ; ‘at least you knew him by reputation. A cripple from birth, nailed to his chair, he had but one passion in life—gambling. His »feeble hands had barely strength sufficient to hold and shuttle the cards. In return his head was extremely cool, his intelligence more than ordinarily clear. No one knew better than he the combinations of ecarte. He was called the Moltke of gamblers. ‘ As to the Princess, what Parisian does not know her and her history ? When I was taken into her favour, they said I was the twentieth, only counting the distinguished ones. ‘ The Prince took everything in the most philosophical manner. He made a point of seeing nothing. When they spoke of a deceived husband before him, he would always ask, “ Was he aware of it? Did he know it?” If they answered “ No,” then he would say, “ He was not deceived ; it is in this as in play ; one is not cheated if he doesn’t know it.” • If the Prince was the Von Moltke of ecarte, the Princess was the Robert Houdin of coquetry. • There are no jugglers so skilful but what they miss the mark sometimes. Our mischance was caused by malevolence. • The Princess had a favourite maid, a Tzigane, as devoted as a tame panther, but alas, a cruel panther still. ‘ fine evening, as this girl was showing me the boudoir of her mistress, she said, (I know not why), “ 1 love you.” I burst out laughing. She repeated, “ I love you, and have loved you a long time. lam determined you shall not see the Princess any more.” ‘ Tn spite of her sharp accents and the savage light in her yellow eyes, I could only see her ugly, tawny face, and laughed more and more, gently repulsing her, for I thought she had taken too much koumiss and felt very indulgent to her fault, as my own head was a little astray from too much champagne. “ You will not listen to me ?” she said, clinging to my arm and kissing my hand. • As I laughed still more she suddenly raised up, grinding her teeth, and said in a low, determined tone, as she threw open the door of the boudoir, “ You will repent this, monsieur."

‘ An hour later, as I was sitting beside the Princess on a grand divan, covered with blue fox, we heard a great clamour in the ante-room, which preceded the boudoir. ‘lt is the voice of the Prince. Can it be possible ?” said the Princess. Yes, it was the voice of the Prince, exclaimingin sharp tones : “ Come put me down ; you are mad ; you make me ill. Put me down, I tell you 1” • Cther voices were heard, a confused noise of cries and approaching footsteps, but above all this buzzing uproar could be heard the furious falsetto of the screeching Tzigane : “You shall see. Everybody shall see. Don’t dare to touch me, not one of you. If you do I will strangle him. Quick, open the door.” ‘ The door was violently thrown open. About a dozen people entered the room, friends of the family and domestics, Tzigane in the midst of them carrying the Prince in her arms like a puny child. I understood it all. In her fit of rage, with the violence of a tempest whirling a broken leaf, she had brought the Prince here by main force, and throwing him on the floor howled, “ Now, see for- yourself. Say, do you see ?” ‘•‘Seize her,” said the Prince, “and send her to the mines.” • “ What does that matter ?” she cried, holding her wrists for the manacles. “ What do I care now that I am revenged ?” Then turning to me she added: “I told you I would never allow you to see the Princess again.’’ ‘ They raised the Prince and placed him in an armchair. He ordered every one to leave the room except two friends he begged to remain ; then turning to me he said : ‘ “ I could kill you, monsieur, as I have the right to do. But I do not wish to punish you in that way. I demand reparation by aims.” • I had a desire to laugh. A duel with that pool cripple ! And what kind of duel, as he could hold neither sword nor pistol in his feeble hands ? ‘ The Prince understood ray thoughts, and replied : “Do not think me mad or more generous than I am. The duel I offer you is very possible, as you will see.” Touching a bell a servant entered. • “Go and bring me a pack of cards from the salon,” he said. • When the cards were brought and the armchair of the Prince had been drawn up to the table, he motioned me to a seat, and, with a calm, almost affable air, said : “ We are now going to play a game of cards, Monsieur, and the one who loses shall kill himself before twelve o’clock to-morrow. Do you accept, mon ehcr ‘“ I accept. What game shall we play ?” • “ Ecarte, if you please.” •“So be it. Eor how many points ?” • “ Five.” • The game commenced, witnessed by the two friends and the Princess, who drew near, drawn in spite of herself by the singularity of the strange duel. • The Prince was my master, that was plainly to be seen, but chance favoured me in the most surprising way. Soon we were 4 to 4.’ ‘ Parbleu,’ said I to Boris, ‘ no need to finish your story. I can guess it; as you are here the Prince lost.’ ‘ Not at all ; the Prince won.’ ‘ But bow ’ My lip curled with scorn, for I thought Boris had been toocowardly to carry out the wager. He smiled maliciously, and continued :

‘ Hold, read this, which I received a quarter of an hour after the game, as I was examining the chambers of my revolver.' He handed me an ace of hearts, U|>on which the Prince had written : Monsieur.—According to my theory you have not been cheated, as you did not perceive it. But I feel from this time it will be impossible for me to touch cards after having dishonoured them, and to live without them I cannot. 1 cheated awhile ago. Monsieur, for the first and last time in my life. We were 4to 4. I made a king appear. Pardon me. I shall now make a Prince disappear. The next day before 12 o’clock the Prince was dead.