Save for the fear of making a fool of myself 
before so great an assembly, I would gladly 
have fallen at the feet of this generous game-
ster to thank him for his unheard-of munifi-
cence; but, little by little, after I had left him, 
incurable mistrust entered again into my 
bosom; I no longer dared to believe in such 
prodigious happiness, and, as I lay down to 
sleep, kneeling once more in prayer (a tag of 
imbecile custom!) I repeated, half asleep; “Oh 
God. Oh Lord my God, do Thou grant that the 
devil keep his word to me!”