blushed, hesitated, then began to feel in his waistcoat pocket.

"It looks easy enough," he ventured dubiously.

"Easy as winkin'," said the red-faced man. "At least to the gents' in
this carriage. Begin to wish I hadn't proposed it."

However, he didn't show any signs of abandoning his amiable pursuit; not
even when the Complete Sportsman, having assiduously searched all his
pockets, produced a leather wallet and extracted thence a couple of
notes.

"I'm afraid that I haven't got any change," he said in rather a
disappointed tone.

"Perhaps," suggested the card-manipulator, "this gentleman could oblige
you."

It being obvious that Hatchet-nose, the gentleman in question, was fully
able to do this out of his recent winnings, he had, of course, no excuse
for hesitation. The two five-pound notes changed hands; and the
Sportsman pocketed twenty half-sovereigns.

Then he turned towards the cards with alacrity. The quiet couple in the
corner had not been wholly unmindful of these proceedings. The slightest
glance of amused and derisory intelligence passed between them as the
Complete Sportsman plunged into the game.

For the first two attempts he was successful. No sooner, however, did he
settle to serious play, beaming with triumph at his good fortune, than
it unaccountably deserted him. He lost the two half-sovereigns that he
had just won, and then another and another; till in the event he found
himself no less than four-pounds-ten out of pocket.

"I--I seem somehow to have lost the knack of it," he said, glancing
round at the company with an air almost of apology.

Red-face was loud in his commiseration and encouragements to proceed.
"Luck's bound to turn," he protested.

The Complete Sportsman, however, seemed to have had enough. No amount of
persuasion could induce him to tempt fortune further, though, to do him
justice, he appeared to take his rebuff in a philosophic spirit.
Desisting at length from his good-humoured attempts, the proprietor of
the cards and board replaced them in his pocket and lit a cigar.

"Ah, well, somebody's got to lose, I suppose," he said tolerantly,
adding, as the train slackened speed, "By Jove, Vauxhall already! I get
out here. So long, all!"

He was on the platform immediately. By a coincidence as surprising as
pleasant it appeared that Hatchet-nose and the curate were also
alighting. The three walked away together; and the Complete Sportsman
was left to share with the qui