Fyodor Dostoevsky: The Gambler

11. CHAPTER XI (continued)

Some very heated discussion was in progress, and meanwhile the door of the study was open--an unprecedented circumstance. As I approached the portals I could hear loud voices raised, for mingled with the pert, venomous accents of De Griers were Mlle. Blanche's excited, impudently abusive tongue and the General's plaintive wail as, apparently, he sought to justify himself in something. But on my appearance every one stopped speaking, and tried to put a better face upon matters. De Griers smoothed his hair, and twisted his angry face into a smile--into the mean, studiedly polite French smile which I so detested; while the downcast, perplexed General assumed an air of dignity--though only in a mechanical way. On the other hand, Mlle. Blanche did not trouble to conceal the wrath that was sparkling in her countenance, but bent her gaze upon me with an air of impatient expectancy. I may remark that hitherto she had treated me with absolute superciliousness, and, so far from answering my salutations, had always ignored them.

"Alexis Ivanovitch," began the General in a tone of affectionate upbraiding, "may I say to you that I find it strange, exceedingly strange, that--In short, your conduct towards myself and my family--In a word, your-er-extremely"

" Eh! Ce n'est pas ca," interrupted De Griers in a tone of impatience and contempt (evidently he was the ruling spirit of the conclave). "Mon cher monsieur, notre general se trompe. What he means to say is that he warns you--he begs of you most eamestly--not to ruin him. I use the expression because--"

"Why? Why?" I interjected.

"Because you have taken upon yourself to act as guide to this, to this--how shall I express it?--to this old lady, a cette pauvre terrible vieille. But she will only gamble away all that she has--gamble it away like thistledown. You yourself have seen her play. Once she has acquired the taste for gambling, she will never leave the roulette-table, but, of sheer perversity and temper, will stake her all, and lose it. In cases such as hers a gambler can never be torn away from the game; and then--and then--"