Warrington, when you lighted upon his lordship. He will
play you for every acre you have in Virginia."

"With the greatest pleasure in life, Mr. Warrington!" interposes my
lord.

"And for all your tobacco, and for all your spices, and for all your
slaves, and for all your oxen and asses, and for everything that is
yours."

"Shall we begin now? Jack, you are never without a dice-box or a
bottle-screw. I will set Mr. Warrington for what he likes."

"Unfortunately, my lord, the tobacco, and the slaves, and the asses, and
the oxen, are not mine, as yet. I am just of age, and my mother, scarce
twenty years older, has quite as good chance of long life as I have."

"I will bet you that you survive her. I will pay you a sum now against
four times the sum to be paid at her death. I will set you a fair sum
over this table against the reversion of your estate in Virginia at the
old lady's departure. What do you call your place?"

"Castlewood."

"A principality, I hear it is. I will bet that its value has been
exaggerated ten times at least amongst the quidnuncs here. How came
you by the name of Castlewood?--you are related to my lord? Oh, stay: I
know,--my lady, your mother, descends from the real head of the house.
He took the losing side in '15. I have had the story a dozen times from
my old Duchess. She knew your grandfather. He was friend of Addison and
Steele, and Pope and Milton, I dare say, and the bigwigs. It is a pity
he did not stay at home, and transport the other branch of the family to
the plantations."

"I have just been staying at Castlewood with my cousin there," remarked
Mr. Warrington.

"Hm! Did you play with him? He's fond of pasteboard and bones."

"Never, but for sixpences and a pool of commerce with the ladies."

"So much the better for both of you. But you played with Will Esmond if
he was at home? I will lay ten to one you played with Will Esmond."

Harry blushed, and owned that of an evening his cousin and he had had a
few games at cards.

"And Tom Sampson, the chaplain," cried Jack Morris, "was he of the
party? I wager that Tom made a third, and the Lord deliver you from Tom
and Will Esmond together!"

"Nay; the truth is, I won of both of them," said Mr. Warrington.

"And they paid you? Well, miracles will never cease!"

"I did not say anything about miracles," remarked Mr. Harry, smiling
over his wine.

"And you don't tell tales out of school--the volto sciolto--hey, Mr.
Warrington