l; and then they played chess, by which Gus was one florin richer.
A third game was in progress, but Todd managed to tip over the board when
he was "going to mate in five moves." Cotton thereupon said he had had
enough, but Gus avariciously tried to reconstruct the positions. He failed
dismally, and Cotton laughed sweetly. Now Cotton's laugh would almost make
his chum's hair curl, so he retorted pretty sweetly himself, "I say, Jim.
I can't get out of my head that awful hammering you fellows got this
afternoon. Think Biffen's lot likely to shape well in the House matches?"

"There's no telling, old man. But if they get moderate luck they'll be
waltzing about in the final."

"That's absolute blazing idiocy!" said Todd, knocking over more chessmen
in his astonishment.

"All right, Gus. To talk absolute blazing idiocy is my usual habit, of
course. They may carry off the final even, but that, perhaps, is a tall
order."

Todd nursed his astonishment for a full five minutes, whistling
occasionally, as at some very fantastic idea. At last he said more
seriously: "Aren't you now, Jim, really pulling my leg?"

"No, honour bright! Biffen's are really eye-openers."

Gus said with infinite slyness: "Look here, I'll bet you evens Biffen's
_don't_ pull off the final."

"Oh, that is rot, Gus, to talk about betting, for you can't pay if you
lose."

Gus had not too much sensitiveness in his character, but this unmeant
insult stung him.

"You've no right to say that. I've paid all I've ever betted with you."

Cotton considered heavily in his own mind for a moment. "That is almost
true, but--"

"Well, what do you mean--" began Todd, in a paddy.

"All right," said Cotton; "shut up, confound you! I'll take you."

"Three quid Biffen's are not cock-house at 'footer.'"

"Done," said Cotton, unwillingly pulling out his note-book; "and straight,
Todd, I shall expect you to pay if you lose."

"Oh, shut up, Cotton, you cad! I shall pay if I lose, man. What do you
want to keep on insulting me like that for?"

"Steady, Gus. You'll have Taylor up if you howl like that. I meant
nothing."

"Nothing!" said Gus in a fury, seeking for something particularly sweet to
say to his patron. "I jolly well hope, then, that if our house should meet
'em in the rounds you will do your little best to put a stopper on their
career. Don't, for the sake of pulling off your bet, present 'em with a
few goals. You 'keep' for our house, you know."

"Oh