Page:The Naval Officer (1829), vol. 3.djvu/229

 she, "what becomes of the money you have received. If you want it all, I cannot refuse you; but remember that you are throwing away the property of your child."

This letter did more to rouse me to a sense of my infamous conduct than the advice of Talbot, or the admonitions of my father. I felt I was acting like a scoundrel; and I resolved to leave off gaming. "One night more," said I, "and then, if I lose, there is an end of it; I go no more." Talbot attended me: he felt he was in some measure the cause of my being first initiated in this pernicious amusement: and he watched my motions with unceasing anxiety.

The game was rouge et noir. I threw a large sum onthe red. I won, left the stake, doubled, and won again. The heap of gold had increased toa large size, and still remained to abide the chance of the card. Again, again, and again, it was doubled. Seven times had the red card