Page:All the Year Round - Series 2 - Volume 1.djvu/130

 , 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.  

