st for
pastime. But let me see: that won't do, there's only three of us; and I
cannot play at any other game. The truth is, I seldom or never play, but
out of complaisance, or at such a time as this, when I am in danger of
falling asleep."

Although I was not much inclined to gaming, I felt no aversion to pass
an hour or two at cards with a friend; and knowing that Strap understood
as much of the matter as I, made no scruple of saying, "I wish we could
find a fourth hand." While we were in this perplexity the person whom we
found in the house at our entrance, overhearing our discourse, took the
pipe from his mouth very gravely, and accosted us thus: "Gentlemen, my
pipe is out, you see," shaking the ashes into the fire, "and rather
than you should be balked, I don't care if I take a hand with you for
a trifle--but remember I won't play for anything of consequence." We
accepted his proffer with pleasure. Having cut for partners, it fell to
my lot to play with him against our friend and Strap, for threepence
a game. We were so successful, that in a short time I was half-a-crown
gainer; when the gentleman whom we had met in the street observing he
had no luck to-day, proposed to leave off, or change partners. By
this time I was inflamed with my good fortune and the expectation of
improving it, as I perceived the two strangers played but indifferently;
therefore I voted for giving him his revenge: and cutting again, Strap
and I, to our mutual satisfaction, happened to be partners. My good
fortune attended me still, and in less than an hour we had got thirty
shillings of their money, for as they lost they grew the keener, and
doubled stakes every time. At last the inconstant goddess began to veer
about, and we were very soon stripped of all our gains, and about forty
shillings of our own money. This loss mortified me extremely, and had a
visible effect on the muscles of Strap's face, which lengthened apace;
but our antagonists perceiving our condition, kindly permitted us to
retrieve our loss, and console ourselves with a new acquisition. Then
my companion wisely suggested it was time to be gone; upon which the
person who had joined us in the house began to curse the cards, and
muttered that we were indebted to fortune only for what we had got,
no part of our success being owing to our good play. This insinuation
nettled me so much that I challenged him to a game at piquet for a
crown: and he was with difficulty persuaded to