Higginbotham's lead of the ace of hearts. Now the captain has left
queen, knave, and two other hearts, four trumps to the queen, and nothing
to win a trick with in the two other suits. This hand is therefore
precisely one of those in which, especially after the fall of that king
of hearts in the adversary's hand, it becomes a matter of reasonable
doubt whether to lead trumps or not. The captain hesitates, and not
liking to play out his good hearts with the certainty of their being
trumped by the squire, nor, on the other hand, liking to open the other
suits, in which he has not a card that can assist his partner, resolves,
as becomes a military man in such dilemma, to make a bold push and lead
out trumps in the chance of finding his partner strong and so bringing in
his long suit.

SQUIRE (taking advantage of the much meditating pause made by the
captain).--"Mrs. Dale, it is not my fault. I have asked Rickeybockey,--
time out of mind. But I suppose I am not fine enough for those foreign
chaps. He'll not come,--that's all I know."

PARSON (aghast at seeing the captain play out trumps, of which he, Mr.
Dale, has only two, wherewith he expects to ruff the suit of spades, of
which he has only one, the cards all falling in suits, while he has not a
single other chance of a trick in his hand).--"Really, Squire, we had
better give up playing if you put out my partner in this extraordinary
way,--jabber, jabber, jabber!"

SQUIRE.--"Well, we must be good children, Harry. What!--trumps, Barney?
Thank ye for that!" And the squire might well be grateful, for the
unfortunate adversary has led up to ace king knave, with two other
trumps. Squire takes the parson's ten with his knave, and plays out ace
king; then, having cleared all the trumps except the captain's queen and