you most earnestly not to ruin him—yes, indeed, not to ruin him! I make use of that expression."
"But how, how?" I interrupted.
"Why, you are undertaking to be the guide (or how shall I express it?) of this old woman, cette pauvre terrible vieille"—De Grieux himself hesitated—"but you know she'll lose everything; she will gamble away her whole fortune! You know yourself, you have seen yourself, how she plays! If she begins to lose; she will never leave off, from obstinacy, from anger, and will lose everything, she will gamble away everything, and in such cases one can never regain one's losses and then…then…"
"And then," the General put in, "then you will ruin the whole family! I and my family are her heirs, she has no nearer relations. I tell you openly: my affairs are in a bad way, a very bad way. You know my position to some extent…If she loses a considerable sum or even (Lord help us!) her whole fortune, what will become of me, of my children!" (The General looked round at De Grieux.) "Of me." (He looked round at Mlle. Blanche, who turned away from him with contempt.) "Alexey Ivanovitch, save us, save us!…"
"But how, General, how, how can I?… What influence have I in the matter?"
"Refuse, refuse, give her up!…"
"Then someone else will turn up," I said.
"Ce n'est pas ça, ce n'est pas ça," De Grieux interrupted again, "que diable! No, don't desert her, but at least advise her, dissuade her, draw her away…don't let her play too much, distract her in some way."
"But how can I do that? If you would undertake the task yourself, M. de Grieux," I added, as naïvely as I could.
Here I caught a rapid, fiery, questioning glance from Mlle. Blanche at M. de Grieux. And in De Grieux's own face there was something peculiar, something he could not himself disguise.
"The point is, she won't accept me now!" De Grieux cried, with a wave of his hand. "If only…later on…"
De Grieux looked rapidly and meaningly at Mlle. Blanche.
"O, mon cher M. Alexis, soyez si bon." Mlle. Blanche herself took a step towards me with a most fascinating smile, she seized me by both hands and pressed them warmly. Damn it all! That diabolical face knew how to change completely in one moment. At that instant her face was so imploring, so sweet, it was such a child-like and even mischievous smile; at
