“There was not much more. He tried to persuade me to go again to-day, and play another match. I told him I was engaged to ride with you. Then he looked as if he was going to be angry. I waited to see, and he wasn't, and so we parted.”
"And what think you of Cumberland now?” inquired I. “I can't say I altogether like the way in which he has behaved about this,” replied Oaklands; “it certainly looks as if he would have had no objection to win as much as he could from me, for he must have known all along that he was the best player. It strikes me that I am well out of the mess, and I have to thank you for being so too, old fellow.”
“Nay, you have to thank your own energy and decision; I did nothing towards helping you out of your difficulties.”
“Indeed! if a man is walking over a precipice with his eyes shut, is it nothing to cause him to open them, in order that he may see the dangers into which the path he is following will lead him?”
“Ah! Harry, if you would but exert yourself, so as to keep your own eyes open——”
“What a wide-awake fellow you would be!” interposed Coleman, who, after having tapped twice, without succeeding in making himself heard (so engrossed were we by the conversation in which we were engaged), had in despair opened the door in time to overhear my last remark. “I say, gents, as Thomas calls us,” continued he, “what have you been doing to Cumberland to put him into such a charming temper?”
“Is he out of humour then?” inquired Oaklands. “I should say, rather,” replied Coleman, winking ironically; “he came into our room just now, looking as black as thunder, and, as I know he hates to be spoken to when he is in the sulks, I asked him if you were going to play billiards with him to-day.”
Harry and I exchanged glances, and Coleman continued:—
“He fixed his eyes upon me, and stared as if he would have felt greatly relieved by cutting my throat, and at last growled out, 'No; that you were going to ride with Fairlegh'; to which I replied, 'that it was quite delightful to see what great friends you had become'; whereupon he ground his teeth with rage, and told me 'to go to the devil for a prating fool'; so I answered, that I was not in want of such an article just at present, and had not time to go so far to-day, and then I came here instead. Oh, he's in no end of a rage, I know.”
“And your remarks would not tend to soothe him much either,” said I. “Oaklands has just been telling him he does not mean to play billiards again.”