of a small cigar-shop, and, turning towards a private door,
on which was a brass plate with the word "Billiards" engraved on it,
knocked, and was admitted. Leading the way up a dark, narrow staircase,
he opened a green baize door at the top, and ushered us into a tolerably
large room, lighted by a sky-light, immediately under which stood the
billiard-table. On one side was placed a rack, containing a formidable
arrangement of cues, maces, etc., while at the farther end two small
dials, with a brass hand in the centre for the purpose of marking the
scores of the different players, were fixed against the wall. As we
entered, two persons who were apparently performing certain intricate
manoeuvres with the balls by way of practice immediately left off
playing and came towards us. One of these, a little man, with small keen
grey eyes, and a quick restless manner, which involuntarily reminded one
of a hungry rat, rejoiced in the name of "Slipsey," and proved to be the
billiard-marker; his ~67~~companion was a tall stout personage, with
a very red face, rather handsome features, large white teeth, and a
profusion of bushy whiskers, moustaches, and imperial of a dark-brown
colour. His dress consisted of a blue military frock coat, which he wore
open, to display a crimson plush waistcoat and thick gold watch-chain,
while his costume was completed by a pair of black and white plaid
trousers, made in the extreme of the fashion, with a broad stripe down
the outside of the leg. This personage swaggered up to Cumberland,
and, with a manner composed of impertinent familiarity and awkwardness,
addressed him as follows:--

"How d'ye do, Mr. Cumberland? hope I see you well, sir. Terrible bad
day, gentlemen, don't you think? dusty enough to pepper the devil, as we
used to say in Spain, hey? Going to have a touch at the rolley-polleys,
I suppose."

"We shall be disturbing you, Captain Spicer," said Cumberland, who, I
thought, had tact enough to perceive that his friend's free and easy
manner was the reverse of acceptable to Oaklands.

"Not at all, not at all," was the reply; "it was so terrible unpleasant
out of doors that, as I happened to be going by, I thought I'd look in
to see if there was anything up; and as the table was lying idle I got
knocking the balls about with little Slipsey here, just to keep one's
hand in, you know."

"Well, then, we had better begin at once," said Cumberland, to which
Oaklands assented rather coldly.