Jonah and Co Part 54

"_Zero,_" announced a nasal voice.

"We're off," said my brother-in-law. "Will you see that they pay me right?"

One hundred and seventy-five pounds.

Ere I had completed my calculation--

"_Zero,_" repeated the nasal voice.

"I said so," said Berry, raising his eyebrows. "I had the maximum that time. Will you be so good? Thank you."

Trembling with excitement, I started to count the equivalent of four hundred and ninety pounds.

Berry was addressing the croupier.

"No. Don't touch the stake. She's not finished yet."

"_Esta hecho?_"

"Don't leave it all," begged Daphne. "Take----"

"_No vas mas._"

Desperately I started to check the money again....

"_Zero._"

There was a long gasp of wonderment, immediately followed by a buzz of exclamation. The croupiers were smiling. Jill was jumping up and down in her seat. Adele was shaking Jonah by the arm. My sister was clinging to Berry, imploring him to "stop now." The two Frenchmen were laughing and nodding their congratulations. The little old lady was bowing and beaming good-will. Excepting, perhaps, the croupiers.

Berry seemed less concerned than anyone present.

"No. I'm not going to stop," he said gently, "because that would be foolish. But I'll give it a miss this time, because it's not coming up. It's no longer a question of guessing, dear. I tell you, I know."

The ball went flying.

After a moment's interval--

"_Ocho_ (eight)," announced the croupier.

"You see," said Berry. "I should have lost my money. Now this time my old friend Zero will come along."

On to the white-edged rectangle went fourteen pounds.

A few seconds later I was receiving four hundred and ninety....

I began to feel dazed. As for counting the money, it was out of the question. Idiotically I began to arrange the counters in little piles....

'35' turned up.

"That's right," said Berry quietly. "And now... It's really very monotonous, but..."

With a shrug of his shoulders, he set the limit on 'Zero.'

I held my breath....

The ball ceased to rattle--began to fall--ricochetted from stud to stud--tumbled into the wheel--nosed '32'--and ... fell with a click into '0.'

Berry spread out his hands.

"I tell you," he said, "it's too easy.... And now, again."

"Don't!" cried Daphne. "Don't! I beg you----"

"My darling," said Berry, "after to-night--No. Leave the stake, please--I'll never play again. This evening--well, the money's there, and we may as well have it, mayn't we? I mean, it isn't as if I hadn't been given the tip. From the moment I woke this morning---- Listen, dear. Don't bother about the wheel--the lady's been hammering away.

You must admit, she's done the job thoroughly. First the intuition: then the wherewithal: then, what to back. I should be a bottle-nosed mug if I didn't----"

"_Zero._"

Upon the explosion of excitement which greeted the astounding event, patrons of the Baccarat Table and of the other Roulette Wheel left their seats and came crowding open-mouthed to see what was toward.

Complete strangers were chattering like old friends. Gibbering with emotion, the Spanish Jew was dramatically recounting what had occurred.

The Dutchman was sitting back, laughing boisterously. The Frenchmen were waving and crying, "_Vive l'Angleterre_." Jonah was shouting as though he had been in the hunting field. Adele and Jill were beating upon the table.

Berry bowed his acknowledgments.

As in a dream, I watched them send for more money.

When it arrived, they gave me four hundred and ninety pounds.

"_Hagan juego, Senores._"

Berry shook his head.

"Not this time," he said quietly.

He was right. After a look at '0' the ball ran with a click into '15.'

A long sigh of relief followed its settlement.

"You see?" said Berry, picking up fourteen pounds....

"Don't," I said weakly. "Don't. I can't bear it. The board's bewitched. If it turns up again, I shall collapse."

"You mean that?" said Berry, putting the money on.

"_No va mas._"

"I do. My heart----"

"Then say your prayers," said my brother-in-law. "For, as I live, that ball's going to pick out----"