"While the State organises the lotteries!—how very consistent," said the Lady Hilda.
"All your gaming is against the law, angels of my soul," said Carlo Maremma.
"Then we'll all leave Floralia," said Madame Mila. "The idea of not being able to do what one chooses in one's own rooms!—there is one thing, we can always go up to Roubleskoff's;—they will never dare to caution him. But what is the use of all this fuss?—everybody plays—everybody always will play."
"The Prefect is much too wise a man ever to imagine he can prevent ladies doing what they like," said Maremma. "It is those tremendous losses of young De Fabris the other night that have made a stir, and the Prefect thinks it necessary to say something; he is afraid of a scandal."
"Good gracious! As if anything filled a city half so well as a scandal! Why don't Floralia have a good gaming place like Monte Carlo? we shouldn't want to use our own rooms then———"
"I confess," said the Duc, in his gentle, medi-
