instructive story," he went on, paying no heed to my dejection;
"and it may teach you how a man should comport himself in adversity.
Six weeks ago this very night I lost two fortunes in less than six hours.
You are listening?"

"With what patience I can."

"Right. You see, I was born with a taste for adventure. At this moment--
you may believe it or not--I'm enjoying myself thoroughly. But the deuce
of it is that I was also born with a poor flimsy body. Come, I'm not
handsomely built, am I?"

"Not particularly," I answered; and indeed his body was shaped like an
egg.

"Confound it, sir, you needn't agree quite so offensively. You're none
too straight in the legs yourself, if it comes to that! However," he
continued in a more equable tone, "being weak in body, I sought my
adventures in a quarter where a long head serves one better than long
legs--I mean the gaming table. Now comes my story. Six weeks ago I took
a hand at lasquenet in a company which included a nobleman whom for
obvious reasons I will only call the Duke. He is of the blood royal, sir;
but I mention him no more closely, and you as a gentleman will not press
me. Eh? Very well. By three o'clock in the morning I had lost fifteen
thousand pounds. In such a case, young man, you would probably have taken
your head in your hands and groaned. We called for wine, drank, and went
on again. By seven in the morning I had won my money back, and was the
Duke's creditor for twenty-two thousand pounds to boot."

"But," said I, "a minute ago you told me you had lost two fortunes."

"I am coming to that. Later in the day the Duke met me in St. James'
Street, and said, 'Noy'--my name is Noy, sir, Timothy Noy--'Noy,' said he,
'I owe you twenty-two thousand pounds; and begad, sir, it's a desperate
business for I haven't the money, nor the half of it.' Well, I didn't fly
out in a rage, but stood there beside him on the pavement, tapping my shoe
with my walking-cane and considering. At last I looked up, and said I,
'Your Grace must forgive my offering a suggestion; for 'tis a cursedly
awkward fix your Grace is in, and one to excuse boldness in a friend,
however humble.' 'Don't put it so, I beg,' said he. 'My dear Noy, if you
can only tell me how to get quits with you, I'll be your debtor
eternally.'"

The old gentleman paused, lightly disengaged his arm from mine, and
fumbled among his many waistcoats till he found a pocket and in it a
snuff-box.