I'd pay you to go away or to keep
out of sight."

"You speak to me in a very strange way.
If I didn't owe you money——"

"Say nothing then about it, as the situation
must continue."

I felt, indeed, for Grainger; there was
something so studied in this insolence; and
I could not resist whispering a question:
"Is it a large sum?"

A rueful nod was the reply, and a smile,
a dull smile, melted over the tallow face.

"And so you have taken up a system—
the last resource? Well, well."

"I did not say I had," replied Grainger.
"My friend here, Mr. Austen, believes in it.
Let me introduce him, Mr. D'Eyncourt."

Grainger seemed to find some revenge
in this little stroke. I was provoked, and
did not wish to know this man.

"Well, what is the system?" he said,
without looking at me.

"I have nothing of the kind; only I
noticed that everybody who lost to-night
seemed to play very wildly, now on this,
on that, without any guide."

"And pray what is the guide you have
found out?"

"There can be nothing that you can call
a guide; but it seems to me common sense
that if one colour has been coming up a
great many times, we may naturally begin
to look out for the other."

"Oh, that's common sense is it?" he said,
taking his cigar out of his mouth. " It
may be so, I never pretend to say what is
common sense or not. Still there are
thousands who have thought of what you
have said, thousands; in fact, every beginner
invariably makes that discovery, after he
has won three or four florins."

"You quite mistake. I am no beginner."

"Well, say a napoleon. It's the regular
speech. The regulation discovery. Take
my advice, keep your napoleon, and let
your system go."

"I really don't understand," I said
coldly. " I have never played, and with
the grace of Heaven never shall indulge in
what I think wrong and sinful."

He looked at me curiously. " I have
nothing of course to do with that. In the
church, I see."

"But for the mere theory," I went on,
"I am right. I know something of mathematics,
of the common chances of every
day life, and every man of science will
tell you that a rule is better than no rule."

"You are wrong, my dear friend," said
Grainger; "utterly. Your man of science
is a donkey in these matters. It is one of
the invariable delusions of this place.
You will find out in time."

"Look at this card," I said, warmly,
"which I marked as the game went on,
from curiosity, just to test the thing."

"From curiosity, just to test the thing,"
said D'Eyncourt. " Yes?"

"Well, see, it falls into the shape—exactly
as I said. There is a proof."

"Oh! the card and pin," said he, with
an air of superiority I could have struck
him for. " Everybody appeals to that.
Really this uniformity is delicious."

"Come away, Grainger," I said, feeling
I could hardly control myself. " Let us
have some supper."

As we walked away, Grainger said,
"My dear friend, he's right. You can't understand
these things so well. Your experience
don't go beyond a sixpenny roulette
table on a race-course. But here we
do things en grand, you see."

"I am right," I said coldly.

"I wish you were. Well, when do you
go on to Frankfort?"

When we got home I found a letter
on the table from the German gentleman.
He has at last returned, and will see me
to- morrow morning. This looks like
business. No letter for some days from
my pet, which makes me a little uneasy.
Not that I shall be uneasy—no matter
what she may think, as she reads this.
For I use these little "trials of the third
class," as I call them, as so many opportunities
for wholesome discipline, for keeping
the mind straight and steady, hardening
it to imaginary woes, strengthening and
giving a tone to the judgment. I am right
also, in my judgment, whatever that languid
upstart may think.

Now ready,
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