, to back him
while he plays, but never--never to have anything to do with him. Play
grandly, honourably. Be not, of course, cast down at losing; but above
all, be not eager at winning, as mean souls are. And, indeed, with all
one's skill and advantages, winning is often problematical; I have seen
a sheer ignoramus that knows no more of play than of Hebrew, blunder you
out of five thousand pounds in a few turns of the cards. I have seen a
gentleman and his confederate play against another and HIS confederate.
One never is secure in these cases: and when one considers the time and
labour spent, the genius, the anxiety, the outlay of money required, the
multiplicity of bad debts that one meets with (for dishonourable rascals
are to be found at the play-table, as everywhere else in the world),
I say, for my part, the profession is a bad one; and, indeed, have
scarcely ever met a man who, in the end, profited by it. I am writing
now with the experience of a man of the world. At the time I speak of I
was a lad, dazzled by the idea of wealth, and respecting, certainly too
much, my uncle's superior age and station in life.

There is no need to particularise here the little arrangements made
between us; the playmen of the present day want no instruction, I take
it, and the public have little interest in the matter. But simplicity
was our secret. Everything successful is simple. If, for instance, I
wiped the dust off a chair with my napkin, it was to show that the enemy
was strong in diamonds; if I pushed it, he had ace, king; if I said,
'Punch or wine, my Lord?' hearts was meant; if 'Wine or punch?' clubs.
If I blew my nose, it was to indicate that there was another confederate
employed by the adversary; and THEN, I warrant you, some pretty trials
of skill would take place. My Lord Deuceace, although so young, had a
very great skill and cleverness with the cards in every way; and it was
only from hearing Frank Punter, who came with him, yawn three times when
the Chevalier had the ace of trumps, that I knew we were Greek to Greek,
as it were.

My assumed dulness was perfect; and I used to make Monsieur de
Potzdorff laugh with it, when I carried my little reports to him at
the Garden-house outside the town where he gave me rendezvous. These
reports, of course, were arranged between me and my uncle beforehand. I
was instructed (and it is always far the best way) to tell as much truth
as my story would possibly bear. When, for ins