"Not so easy, eh?" continued Ralston. "Pretty good judgment, it seems to me. I'll have my ante back, if you please," and he replaced one of the blue chips on his own pile. "It requires more nerve to lay down four aces than four jacks."
The men stared at him without speaking, and Farrer arose abruptly.
"I supposed I was in a respectable game," he announced with severity. "If you gentlemen," turning to Ralston and Steadman, "will step downstairs I will adjust matters with you. As for you," addressing the other three, "make yourselves scarce and never come into my house again." They moved slowly toward the door.
"Don't worry on our account, Mr. Farrer," remarked Ralston suavely. "I'm sure the matter was merely a coincidence. Seeing a man lie down on four jacks is enough to account for any apparent little irregularity." But, before he had finished, the three, closely followed by Farrer, had departed. Then Ralston looked over to where Steadman was sitting with a smile of utter lassitude.
"We were well out of that, I fancy," said he.
"I wonder what I had?" answered Steadman dreamily. He fumbled unsteadily for his hand and turned it over card by card.
The first was a deuce of spades.
"Oh!" he remarked, "a pair of 'em, anyhow."
The next was a deuce of diamonds, and the last a deuce of clubs.
Steadman looked stupidly around the table.