"Come," he said, "let us begin." From one of his bags he took a pack of
cards. He sat at the table and shuffled them. "There are many games of
patience," he continued. "They are all founded on averages and thousands
of combinations, so intricate that the law of recurrence can be
determined only by months of figuring. However, one can learn a patience
without bothering with the law of recurrence. I shall now teach you a
game called Canfield."

Time after time the cards were laid out, played, and reshuffled.

"Now," said the stranger, "do you think you know the game?"

"Yes," said Lewis, "I think so."

He played, with some success.

"You have got out fourteen cards," said the stranger. "You have beaten
the game."

"How can that be?" asked Lewis.

"It can be," said the stranger, "because this is one of the few games of
patience that has been reduced to a scientific gambling basis. The odds,
allowing for the usual advantage to the banker, have been determined at
five to one. Say I'm the banker. I sell you the pack for fifty-two
pennies, and I pay you five pennies for every card you get out. Five to
one. Do you see that?"

Lewis nodded.