I foiled him like a man, and, in return,
gave him more than he could relish of the
genuine DEAD KNOWLEDGE.

'In short, I have plucked the old
baronet as never baronet was plucked before;
I have scarce left him the stump of
a quill; I have got promissory notes in his
hand to the amount of--if you like round
numbers, say, thirty thousand pounds,
safely deposited in my portable strong-
box, alias double-clasped pocket-book. I
leave this ruinous old rat-hole early on to-
morrow, for two reasons--first, I do not
want to play with Sir Arthur deeper than
I think his security, that is, his money, or
his money's worth, would warrant; and,
secondly, because I am safer a hundred
miles from Sir Arthur than in the house
with him. Look you, my worthy, I tell
you this between ourselves--I may be
wrong, but, by G--, I am as sure as that I
am now living, that Sir A---- attempted
to poison me last night; so much for old
friendship on both sides.

'When I won the last stake, a heavy one
enough, my friend leant his forehead upon
his hands, and you'll laugh when I tell
you that his head literally smoked like a