I stayed at Foxley till the middle of October, and
then came to Town, where, for want of other amusement I chose to
take the diversion of Hazard at the House in Pall Mall, and lost
near 4,000 pounds in three nights to a set of fellows whom I never
saw before, and have never seen since. Though it has generally
happened to me to begin the winter without a guinea, I did not make
up my mind to it this year so easily as I have done formerly,
because I knew that I deserved to be poor for having been fool
enough to lose my money at Hazard instead of saving it for Pharaoh.

Richard played at the same place, and lost 8,000 gs., which he paid
immediately, though he had declared to me a few days before that he
had not a quarter of that sum in the world; but you know how to
estimate his veracity on these subjects as well as anybody.

Charles, in the October meetings, lost about 10,000, the greatest
part of it on Races, and the rest to General Smith at picquet. The
general opinion was, that Charles was extremely partial to horses of
his own confederacy; this he denies, and of course is angry to hear
suspected, but you and I shall not be very backward to believe it to
have been the case.

Most of the joint annuitants agreed to a proposal made to them by
Richard and Charles, viz., to receive 6,000 immediately, and the
remainder by instalments in three years. One of them refused to
accept this proposal, and seized soon after the meeting four of
Charles's horses, which were of trifling value, and therefore bought
in again at a small expense by Derby, in whose name they now stand;
whether some time or other his protection may not be insufficient, I
shall not pretend to say, but it is not quite out of the reach of
possibility.

Thus, you see, the Bankers did not meet at the beginning of the
winter in the same opulent circumstances as they had parted in at
the end of the last campaign. Lord Robert and I proposed to have our
share increased from a twelfth to an eighth. Charles consented, but
Richard refused, and we remain on our former footeign (sic). The
Bank has already won considerably, and would probably have done
still better if money was not very scarce, as most of the punters
retain their passion without the means of gratifying it.

You will be surprised when I tell you that Richard is our most
valuable punter, and has lost this year full as much as his share of
the winnings of the Bank; and as he would not agree to my having a