two and a banker, with a would-be fast attorney, a sporting literary
gentleman, and a young unmarried Member of Parliament who had no
particular home of his own in the country. These men formed the
Roebury Club, and a jolly life they had of it. They had their own
wine closet at the King's Head,--or Roebury Inn as the house had come
to be popularly called,--and supplied their own game. The landlord
found everything else; and as they were not very particular about
their bills, they were allowed to do pretty much as they liked in
the house. They were rather imperious, very late in their hours,
sometimes, though not often, noisy, and once there had been a hasty
quarrel which had made the landlord in his anger say that the club
should be turned out of his house. But they paid well, chaffed the
servants much oftener than they bullied them, and on the whole were
very popular.

To this club Vavasor did not belong, alleging that he could not
afford to live at their pace, and alleging, also, that his stays at
Roebury were not long enough to make him a desirable member. The
invitation to him was not repeated and he lodged elsewhere in the
little town. But he occasionally went in of an evening, and would
make up with the members a table at whist.

He had come down to Roebury by mail train, ready for hunting the next
morning, and walked into the club-room just at midnight. There he
found Maxwell the banker, Grindley the would-be fast attorney, and
Calder Jones the Member of Parliament, playing dummy. Neither of the
brewers were there, nor was the sporting literary gentleman.

"Here's Vavasor," said Maxwell, "and now we won't play this
blackguard game any longer. Somebody told me, Vavasor, that you were
gone away."

"Gone away;--what, like a fox?"

"I don't know what it was; that something had happened to you since
last season; that you were married, or dead, or gone abroad. By
George, I've lost the trick after all! I hate dummy like the devil.
I never hold a card in dummy's hand. Yes, I know; that's seven points
on each side. Vavasor, come and cut. Upon my word if any one had
asked me, I should have said you were dead."

"But you see, nobody ever does think of asking you anything."

"What you probably mean," said Grindley, "is that Vavasor was not
returned for Chelsea last February; but you've seen him since that.
Are you going to try it again, Vavasor?"

"If you'll lend me the money I will."

"I don't see what on earth