living and
inanimate, it would take a month to chronicle."

"Some kind friend may open his eye to all this one of these days, Master
Linton; and then--"

"By that time," said Linton, "his clairvoyance will be too late. Like
many a man I 've known, he 'll be a capital judge of claret when his
cellar has been emptied."

"You were a large winner last night, Linton?"

"Twelve hundred and fifty. It might have been double the amount, but I
've taken a hint from Splasher's Physiology. He says nothing encourages
a plethora like small bleedings. And you, Charley; what did _you_ do?"

"Sixty pounds!" replied he, shortly. "I never venture out of my depth."

"And you mean to infer that I do, my Lord," said Linton, trying to
smile, while evidently piqued by the remark. "Well, I plead guilty to
the charge. I have a notion in my head that seven feet of water drowns
a man just as effectually as seven hundred fathoms in the blue Atlantic.
Now _you_ know, as well as I, that neither of us could afford to lose
sixty pounds thrice running; so let us not talk of venturing out of
our depth, which, I take it, would be to paddle in very shallow water
indeed."

For an instant it seemed as if Lord Charles would have given an angry
reply to this sally; but, as hastily checking the emotion, he walked to
the window, and appeared to be lost in thought, while Linton continued
his breakfast with all the zest of a hungry man.

"I'll give up play altogether," said Frobisher. "That I've resolved
upon. This will go abroad, rely upon it Some of the papers will get
hold of it, and we shall see some startling paragraphs about 'Recent
Discoveries in the Vice-regal Household,'--'Nefarious System of High
Play at the Castle,' and so on. Now it 's all very well for you,
who neither care who 's in or out, or hold any appointment here; but
remember, there are others--myself for instance--who have no fancy for
this kind of publicity."

"In the first place," interrupted Linton, "there is no danger; and in
the second, if there were, it's right well remunerated. Your appointment
here, with all its contingent advantages, of which, not to excite your
blushes, we shall say nothing, is some three or four hundred a year.
Now, a lucky evening and courage to back the luck--a quality, by the
way, I never yet found in one Englishman in a hundred--is worth this
twice or thrice told. Besides, remember, that this wild bull of the
prairies has come of himself into our hun