s they
do, I will not refuse them; but when we sit down with others, it must be
as it was before--we must play against each other, and I shall _owe_ the
money. I told the fellow that I never would pay him."

"Yes; but he thought you were only joking."

"That is his fault--I was in earnest. I could not have managed this had
it not been that you are known to be a young man of ten thousand pounds
per annum, and supposed to be my dupe. I tell you so candidly; and now
good night."

I turned the affair over in my mind as I undressed--it was not honest--
but I paid when I lost, and I only took the money when I won,--still I
did not like it; but the bank notes caught my eye as they lay on the
table, and--I was satisfied. Alas! how easy are scruples removed when
we want money! How many are there who, when in a state of prosperity
and affluence, when not tried by temptation, would have blushed at the
bare idea of a dishonest action, have raised and held up their hands in
abhorrence, when they have heard that others have been found guilty; and
yet, when in adversity, have themselves committed the very acts which
before they so loudly condemned! How many of the other sex, who have
expressed their indignation and contempt at those who have fallen, when
tempted, have fallen themselves! Let us therefore be charitable; none
of us can tell to what we may be reduced by circumstances; and when we
acknowledge that the error is great, let us feel sorrow and pity rather
than indignation, and pray that we also may not be "_led into
temptation_."

As agreed upon, the next evening we repaired to the club, and found the
two gentlemen ready to receive us. This time the major refused to play
unless it was with me, as I had such good fortune, and no difficulty was
made by our opponents. We sat down and played till four o'clock in the
morning. At first, notwithstanding our good play, fortune favoured our
adversaries; but the luck soon changed, and the result of the evening
was, that the major had a balance in his favour of forty pounds, and I
rose a winner of one hundred and seventy-one pounds, so that in two
nights we had won three hundred and forty-two pounds. For nearly three
weeks this continued, the major not paying when not convenient, and we
quitted Cheltenham with about eight hundred pounds in our pockets; the
major having paid about one hundred and twenty pounds to different
people who frequented the club; but they were Irish