“Yes,” agreed the colonel, not quite as goodtemperedly.
“And twice I held hands neither an ace nor a king, which helped the opposition to be formidable. Can you give me change, Mr. Hornblower?”
There was a fivepound note among the money that the colonel handed over to Hornblower, and it went into the breast pocket of his coat.
“At least, colonel,” said Parry, when they cut again, “you have Mr. Hornblower as your partner this time.”
As the rubber proceeded Bush was aware that the flag lieutenant beside him was watching with greater and greater interest.
“By the odd trick, by George.” said he when the last cards were played.
“That was a close shave, partner,” said the colonel, his good humour clearly restored. “I hoped you held that queen, but I couldn’t be sure.”
“Fortune was with us, sir,” said Hornblower.
The flag lieutenant glanced at Bush; it seemed as if the flag lieutenant was of opinion that the colonel should have been in no doubt, from the previous play, that Hornblower held the queen. Now that Bush’s attention was drawn to it, he decided that Hornblower must have thought just the same—the slightest inflection in his voice implied it—but was sensibly not saying so.
“I lose a rubber at five pounds ten and win one at fifteen shillings,” said the colonel, receiving his winnings from Lambert. “Who’d like to increase the stakes again?”