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Bond stood up He took a hundred-mille plaque from the stacks beside him and slipped it across the table to the chef de partie He cut short the effusive thanks and asked the croupier to have his winnings carried to the caisse The other players were leaving their seats With no bankers there could be no gaed soht and left and then ducked under the rail to where Vesper and Felix Leiter aiting for hiether they walked over to the caisse Bond was invited to come into the private office of the Casino directors On the desk lay his huge pile of chips He added the contents of his pockets to it

In all there was over seventy million francs

Bond took Felix Leiter's money in notes and took a cheque to cash on the Credit Lyonnais for the reratulated wars The directors hoped that he would be playing again that evening

Bond gave an evasive reply He walked over to the bar and handed Leiter's ane Leiter took a 45 bullet out of his pocket and placed it on the table

'I gave the gun to Mathis,' he said 'He's taken it away He was as puzzled as ere by the spill you took He was standing at the back of the croith one of his ot aithout difficulty You can iun Mathis gave me this bullet to show you what you escaped The nose has been cut with a dumdum cross You'd have been in a terrible mess But they can't tie it on to Le Chiffre The et his entrance card Of course, it'll all be phony He got per the stick in with him He had a certificate for a ound pension These people certainly get theot his prints and they're on the Belinograph to Paris, so we ' Felix Leiter tapped out another cigarette 'Anyway, all's well that ends well You certainly took Le Chiffre for a ride at the end, though we had some bad moments I expect you did too'

Bond s that ever happened to ht I was really finished It wasn't at all a pleasant feeling Talk about a friend in need One day I'll try and return the coo over to the hotel and put this away,' he said, tapping his pocket 'I don't like wandering around with Le Chiffre's death-warrant on et ideas Then I'd like to celebrate a bit What do you think?'

He turned to Vesper She had hardly said a word since the end of the gaht-club before we go to bed? It's called the Roi Galant You get to it through the public rooms It looks quite cheerful'

'I think I'd love to,' said Vesper 'I'll tidy up while you put your winnings away I'll meet you in the entrance hall'

'What about you, Felix?' Bond hoped he could be alone with Vesper

Leiter looked at him and read his mind

'I'd rather take a little rest before breakfast,' he said 'It's been quite a day and I expect Paris ant -up tomorrow There are several loose ends you won't have to worry about I shall I'll walk over to the hotel with you Might as well convoy the treasure ship right into port'

They strolled over through the shadows cast by the full uns It was three o'clock in the , but there were several people about and the courtyard of the Casino was still lined with motorcars

The short as uneventful

At the hotel, Leiter insisted on acco Bond to his room It was as Bond had left it six hours before

'No reception committee,' observed Leiter, 'but I wouldn't put it past theht to stay up and keep you two coet your sleep,' said Bond 'Don't worry about us They won't be interested inafter that Thanks for all you've done I hope we get on a job again one day'

'Suitsas you can draw a nine when it's needed - and bring Vesper along with you,' he added dryly He went out and closed the door

Bond turned back to the friendliness of his roo table and the nervous strain of the three hours' play, he was glad to be alone for a moment and be welcomed by his pyja-table He went into the bathrooled with a sharp mouthwash He felt the bruises on the back of his head and on his right shoulder He reflected cheerfully how narrowly he had twice that day escaped being ht and wait for theain, or was Le Chiffre even now on his way to Le Havre or Bordeaux to pick up a boat for some corner of the world where he could escape the eyes and the guns of SMERSH?

Bond shrugged his shoulders Sufficient unto that day had been its evil He gazed for a moment into the mirror and wondered about Vesper's ant body He wanted to see tears and desire in her remote blue eyes and to take the ropes of her black hair in his hands and bend her long body back under his Bond's eyes narrowed and his face in the er

He turned away and took out his pocket the cheque for forty million francs He folded this very small Then he opened the door and looked up and down the corridor He left the door wide open and with his ears cocked for footsteps or the sound of the lift, he set to ith a save a last-arettes in his case, closed and locked the door and went off down the corridor and across the hall and out into the ht