'Old boys, it seems to me someone's been pulling our legs.
'Well, this is the story that he told me, continued Mr Prendergast. 'It all started from our argument about Church architecture with the black man. Apparently Philbrick has a large house in Carlton House Terrace.
'Camberwell Green.
'Cheyne Walk.
'Well, I'm telling you what he told me. He has a house in Carlton House Terrace. I remember the address well because a sister of Mrs Crump's was once governess in a house in the same row, and he used to live there with an actress who, I regret to say, was not his wife. I forget her name, but I know it is a particularly famous one. He was sitting in the Athenaeum Club one day when the Archbishop of Canterbury approached him and said that the Government were anxious to make him a peer, but that it was impossible while he lived a life of such open irregularity. Philbrick turned down the offer. He is a Roman Catholic, I forgot to tell you. But all that doesn't really explain why he is here. It only shows how important he is. His ships weigh hundreds and hundreds of tons, he told me.
'Well, one evening he and his play‑actress were giving a party, and they were playing baccarat. There was a Portuguese Count there ‑ a very dark man from the Legation, Philbrick said. The game rapidly became a personal contest between these two. Philbrick won over and over again until the Count had no more money left and had signed many I O U's. Finally, very late in the night, he took from the Countess's hand ‑ she was sitting beside him with haggard eyes watching him play ‑ an enormous emerald. As big as a gold ball, Philbrick said.
' "This has been an heirloom of my family since the first crusade," said the Portuguese Count. "It is the one thing which I had hoped to leave to my poor, poor little son." And he tossed it on to the table.
' "I will wager against it my new four‑funnel, turbine-driven liner called The Queen of Arcady," said Philbrick.
' "That's not enough," said the Portuguese Countess.
' "And my steam‑yacht Swallow and four tugs and a coaling‑barge, said Philbrick. All the party rose to applaud his reckless bid.