ut--'Wretch that thou art, don't kill the child--I'll take it home with
me!'

TWO MASTERS OF THE ART.

A Frenchman who had become notorious for the unerring certainty with
which he won from all who ventured to play with him, at length found
himself unable to induce persons to sit down to the table with him,
there being not the slightest chance of winning against his play. After
being thus idle for some time, an Englishman, who had heard of his
triumphs, expressed his readiness to enter the lists against him. They
sat down, and played for three hours without intermission, and at the
end of that time were exactly in the same position as when they begun.
They at length paused to take some refreshment. 'Sare,' said the
Frenchman, in a sort of whisper, to a party who accompanied his
antagonist, 'your friend is a very clever man at de cards--deuced
clever, sare.' 'He is a very clever fellow,' observed the Englishman. 'I
shall try him again,' said Monsieur; and as he made the observation
he proceeded to the room in which they had been playing, and which
was fixed on as the scene of their continued contest. He had scarcely
quitted the place when the other made his appearance, and observed that
the Frenchman was the most skilful player he had ever met with. The
parties again met, and the cards were again produced. The game was
renewed at eleven o'clock, and continued without intermission till
six o'clock on the following morning, at which time they found, to the
surprise of each other, that they were still as they began. 'Sare,'
said the Frenchman, 'you are the best player I ever met with.' 'And you,
Monsieur,' returned the other, 'are the only gentleman I ever played
with, from whom I could win nothing.' 'Indeed, sare!' said Monsieur,
hesitatingly. 'It is a fact, I assure you.' 'Sare, I am quite astonished
at your skill.' 'And I'm not less so at yours, Monsieur.' 'You're de
most skilfullest man at de cards in England.' 'Not while you are in it,
Monsieur,' replied the Englishman, with a smile. 'Sare, I CHEATED, and
yet could not win from you!' remarked the Frenchman, hurriedly and with
much emphasis, feeling it impossible any longer to conceal his surprise
at the circumstance of being unable to play a winning game with the
Englishman. 'And, Monsieur, I did the same thing with you, and yet you
are no loser!' remarked the other, with corresponding energy of tone.

The problem was thus solved: both had been cheating during the wh