"'You are not a loser, I hope?'—'Indeed I am not,' I replied; 'but not much a gainer.'
"'Nor need you desire to be. Do you desire to give your adversary his revenge now, or take another opportunity.'—'At another time,' I replied.
"'You will find me here the day after to-morrow, when I shall be at your service;' then bowing, he turned away.
"'He is a very rich man whom you have been playing with,' said the chevalier.—"
"Indeed!"
"'Yes, and I have known him to lose for three days together; but you may take his word for any amount; he is a perfect gentleman and man of honour.'—''Tis well to play with such,' I replied; 'but I suppose you are about to leave.'
"'Yes, it grows late, and I have some business to transact to-morrow, so I must leave.'—'I will accompany you part of the way home,' said I, 'and then I shall have finished the night.'
"I did leave with him, and accompanied him home, and then walked to my own home."
"This was my first visit, and I thought a propitious beginning, but it was the more dangerous. Perhaps a loss might have effectually deterred me, but it is doubtful to tell how certain events might have been altered. It is just possible that I might have been urged on by my desire to retrieve any loss I might have incurred, and so made myself at once the miserable being it took months to accomplish in bringing me to.