By some extraordinary combination of luck no money worth speaking of had changed hands. All the players declared they had never seen anything so level in their lives. At this time there was a pause in the play for light refreshment. Five of the men had brandies and sodas, Crawford had coffee. He looked at the counters before him, and counted them with his eye. He had been making money at something like the rate of a day labourer. He had won two or three sovereigns! This wasn't play, but slavery.
The other men had nothing sensational to say; they all declared they were pretty much as they had started. No one had gained much, and no one was much hurt.
"Never saw such a thing in my life!" said the eldest Staples in amazement.
"Nor I," said Crawford.
"Shall we say seven for breakfast, and then, if there is no change, we'll chuck it?"
"All right," chorussed the others.
At seven, however, there was a very marked change: Crawford had won a hundred and fifty pounds.
"That's better," said the eldest Staples. "I vote we go on."
He was two hundred and fifty to the bad.
"Agreed," said the others.