rliament, and the Bishop of Carlisle stood godfather to one of the
children."

"Wonderful! wonderful!"

"And once there was a young man in America who gambled till he had
lost his last dollar. He staked his watch and chain, and lost as
before; staked his umbrella, lost again; staked his hat, lost again;
staked his coat and stood in his shirt-sleeve; lost again. Began
taking off his breeches, and then a looker-on gave him a trifle for
his pluck. With this he won. Won back his coat, won back his hat,
won back his umbrella, his watch, his money, and went out of the door
a rich man."

"Oh, 'tis too good--it takes away my breath! Mr. Wildeve, I think
I will try another shilling with you, as I am one of that sort; no
danger can come o't, and you can afford to lose."

"Very well," said Wildeve, rising. Searching about with the lantern,
he found a large flat stone, which he placed between himself and
Christian, and sat down again. The lantern was opened to give more
light, and it's rays directed upon the stone. Christian put down
a shilling, Wildeve another, and each threw. Christian won. They
played for two, Christian won again.

"Let us try four," said Wildeve. They played for four. This time the
stakes were won by Wildeve.

"Ah, those little accidents will, of course, sometimes happen, to the
luckiest man," he observed.

"And now I have no more money!" explained Christian excitedly. "And
yet, if I could go on, I should get it back again, and more. I wish
this was mine." He struck his boot upon the ground, so that the
guineas chinked within.

"What! you have not put Mrs. Wildeve's money there?"

"Yes. 'Tis for safety. Is it any harm to raffle with a married lady's
money when, if I win, I shall only keep my winnings, and give her her
own all the same; and if t'other man wins, her money will go to the
lawful owner?"

"None at all."

Wildeve had been brooding ever since they started on the mean
estimation in which he was held by his wife's friends; and it cut his
heart severely. As the minutes passed he had gradually drifted into a
revengeful intention without knowing the precise moment of forming it.
This was to teach Mrs. Yeobright a lesson, as he considered it to be;
in other words, to show her if he could, that her niece's husband was
the proper guardian of her niece's money.

"Well, here goes!" said Christian, beginning to unlace one boot. "I
shall dream of it nights and nights, I suppose; but I shall alway