"I can believe it easily. Indeed, you are, in general, an ass. You're a nice fellow, but you are an ass. You'll grow out of it in time, but you'll have to do a deal of growing first." Mr Lintorn glanced at his friend, who was pacing round the room. "How's your eye?"
"Oh, hang my eye! Lintorn, how much do you think I've lost within the last three nights? Five hundred pounds!"
Mr Lintorn whistled.
"How pleasant it is to be rich and young."
"But I'm not rich. With the exception of five thousand pounds left me by my aunt to help me along while I'm reading for the bar, I've scarcely a penny in the world."
"Davison, you don't mean that?"
"I do mean it. And the worst of it is, it's not been fairly lost. That old rogue's been rooking me all through."
"Oh, you've discovered that, have you? After trying to murder me for warning you."
Then Mr Davison told his tale. How Mdlle. de Fontanes had interrupted the game, and exposed her father's pernicious practices. Mr Lintorn expressed much admiration of the lady's conduct.
"She looked like a goddess then, if you like. I should like to have seen her."