And our young Duke, we must confess, gamed, as all other men have
gamed, for money. His satiety had fled the moment that his affairs were
embarrassed. The thought suddenly came into his head while Bag-shot was
speaking. He determined to make an effort to recover; and so completely
was it a matter of business with him, that he reasoned that, in the
present state of his affairs, a few thousands more would not signify;
that these few thousands might lead to vast results, and that, if they
did, he would bid adieu to the gaming-table with the same coolness with
which he had saluted it.
Yet he felt a little odd when he first 'rattled the bones;' and his
affected nonchalance made him constrained. He fancied every one was
watching him; while, on the contrary, all were too much interested in
their own different parties. This feeling, however, wore off.
According to every novelist, and the moralists 'our betters,' the Duke
of St. James should have been fortunate at least to-night. You always
win at first, you know. If so, we advise said children of fancy and of
fact to pocket their gains, and not play again.
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