-Hamlet.

"There's a sweet little cherub that sits up aloft."
--Naval Song.

AS we were preparing to take our departure I observed the Captain
exchange glances with Cumberland, who turned to Oaklands, saying:--

"Don't wait for me; I have one or two places to call at in my way back,
and I shall only make you late;--when you get home, give Thomas a hint
to keep back dinner five minutes or so--old Mildman won't say anything
about it, if he fancies it's the servant's fault."

To this Oaklands replied, "that it was rather a shame, but he'd see what
he could do for once"; and, with a very distant bow to the Captain, we
left the room. As soon as we were in the street Oaklands accosted me
with:--

"Well, Frank, what do you think of billiards?"

~72~~"Why," replied I, after a moment's thought, "as to the game itself,
it's a very pretty game, and when you can play well, I have no doubt a
very interesting one; too much so, perhaps."

"Too interesting! why, that's the beauty of it; almost every other
game is a bore, and tires one, because one does not get sufficiently
interested to forget the trouble of it; what can you mean by too
interesting?"

"You won't be angry at what I am going to say, will you?" said I,
looking up in his face.

"Angry with you, my dear boy! no fear of that; always say just what
you think to me, and, if it happens to be disagreeable, why it can't be
helped; I would rather hear a disagreeable truth from a friend any day,
than have it left for some ill-natured person to bring out, when he
wants to annoy me."

"All I meant to say was this," I replied; "it seems to me that you get
so much excited by the game, that you go on playing longer, and for
higher stakes, than you intended to do when you began,--surely,"
continued I, "it cannot be right to lose such sums of money merely for
amusement; is it not gambling?"

"I believe you are right, Frank," replied Oaklands, after a short pause,
during which he had apparently been revolving the matter in his mind;
"when one comes to think seriously about it, it is a most unprofitable
way of getting rid of one's money; you will scarcely credit it,"
continued he, half-smiling, "but I declare to you I have been playing
almost every day for the last two months."

"So long as that?" interrupted I, aghast.

"There or thereabouts," said Oaklands, laughing at the tone of horror in
which I had spoken; "but I was going to say," he continued, "th