an?"

"He doesn't know I'm a--I'm a commercial man," blushingly said Sam: "he
fancies I'm a military gent."

The Major's gravity was quite upset at this absurd notion; and he
laughed outrageously. "Why, the fact is, sir," said I, "that my
friend Pogson, knowing the value of the title of Captain, and being
complimented by the Baroness on his warlike appearance, said, boldly,
he was in the army. He only assumed the rank in order to dazzle her weak
imagination, never fancying that there was a husband, and a circle of
friends, with whom he was afterwards to make an acquaintance; and then,
you know, it was too late to withdraw."

"A pretty pickle you have put yourself in, Mr. Pogson, by making love to
other men's wives, and calling yourself names," said the Major, who was
restored to good humor. "And pray, who is the honorable gent?"

"The Earl of Cinqbars' son," says Pogson, "the Honorable Tom Ringwood."

"I thought it was some such character; and the Baron is the Baron de
Florval-Delval?"

"The very same."

"And his wife a black-haired woman, with a pretty foot and ankle; calls
herself Athenais; and is always talking about her trente-deux ans? Why,
sir, that woman was an actress on the Boulevard, when we were here in
'15. She's no more his wife than I am. Delval's name is Chicot. The
woman is always travelling between London and Paris: I saw she was
hooking you at Calais; she has hooked ten men, in the course of the last
two years, in this very way. She lent you money, didn't she?" "Yes."
"And she leans on your shoulder, and whispers, 'Play half for me,' and
somebody wins it, and the poor thing is as sorry as you are, and her
husband storms and rages, and insists on double stakes; and she leans
over your shoulder again, and tells every card in your hand to your
adversary, and that's the way it's done, Mr. Pogson."

"I've been 'AD, I see I 'ave," said Pogson, very humbly.

"Well, sir," said the Major, "in consideration, not of you, sir--for,
give me leave to tell you, Mr. Pogson, that you are a pitiful little
scoundrel--in consideration for my Lord Cinqbars, sir, with whom, I am
proud to say, I am intimate," (the Major dearly loved a lord, and was,
by his own showing, acquainted with half the peerage,) "I will aid you
in this affair. Your cursed vanity, sir, and want of principle, has set
you, in the first place, intriguing with other men's wives; and if you
had been shot for your pains, a bullet would have only s