escape, and raising my hand
noiselessly, I pointed to the door. Darby, who had been only waiting for
the fortunate moment, stole quietly towards it; but while his hand was
on the lock, Crofts lifted his eyes towards me, and then throwing them
half round, intimated at once that he observed the manoeuvre. The blood
suffused my face and temples, and though I saw the door close behind
the piper, I could not recover from my embarrassment, or the fear that
pressed on me lest Crofts should have penetrated the secret of Darby's
disguise, and augured from the fact something to my discredit.

"The game is now arranged," said he. "The spade being led here, the
second player follows suit; the third, having none, trumps the card, and
is overtrumped by the last in play. The trick is lost, therefore, and
with it the game."

"No, no," interrupted Bubbleton, "you mistake altogether. The
diamond,--no, the heart; I mean the--the--What the deuce is it? I say,
Cradock, I had it all correct a minute ago; how is it, old fellow?"

"Why, you 've lost, that's all," said the other, as he looked intently
on the table, and seemed to consider the point.

"Yes, Bubbleton, there's no doubt about it; you've lost. We forgot all
about the last player," said Hilliard.

A violent knocking at the outer door drowned the voices of all within,
while a gruff voice shouted out, "Captain Bubbleton, the grand round is
coming up Parliament Street."

Bubbleton snatched up his sword, and dashing through the room, was
followed by the others in a roar of laughter, Crofts alone remaining
behind, proceeded leisurely to open the folded piece of bank paper that
lay before him, while I stood opposite unable to take my eyes from
him. Slowly unfolding the note, he flattened it with his hand, and then
proceeded to read aloud,--

"Payez au porteur la somme de deux mille livres--,'

"I beg pardon," interrupted I. "There's a mistake there; that belongs to
me."

"I thought as much," replied Crofts, with a very peculiar smile; "I
scarcely supposed my friend Bubbleton had gone so far."

"There's the sum, sir," said I, endeavoring to control my temper, and
only eager to regain possession of what would at once have compromised
me, if discovered. "This is what Captain Bubbleton lost; twenty pounds,
if I mistake not?"

"I must entreat your pardon, sir," said Crofts, folding up the French
billet de hanque, "My wager was not with you, nor can I permit you to
pay it. This is