wenty broad pieces; and he was so
elated with his success, as to accompany every lucky throw with a loud
burst of laughter, and other savage and simple manifestations of
excessive joy, exclaiming, in a tone something less sweet than the
bellowing of a bull, "Now for the main, Count,--odd! here they come--here
are the seven black stars, i'faith. Come along, my yellow boys--odd's
heart! I never liked the face of Lewis before."

Fathom drew happy presages from these boyish raptures, and, after having
indulged them for some time, began to avail himself of his arithmetic, in
consequence of which the knight was obliged to refund the greatest part
of his winning. Then he altered his note, and became as intemperate in
his chagrin, as he had been before immoderate in his mirth. He cursed
himself and his whole generation, d---ed his bad luck, stamped with his
feet upon the floor, and challenged Ferdinand to double stakes. This was
a very welcome proposal to our hero, who found Sir Stentor just such a
subject as he had long desired to encounter with; the more the Englishman
laid, the more he lost, and Fathom took care to inflame his passions, by
certain well-timed sarcasms upon his want of judgment, till at length he
became quite outrageous, swore the dice were false, and threw them out at
the window; pulled off his periwig, and committed it to the flames, spoke
with the most rancorous contempt of his adversary's skill, insisted upon
his having stripped many a better man, for all he was a Count, and
threatening that, before they parted, he should not only look like a
Pole, but also smell like a pole-cat.

This was a spirit which our adventurer industriously kept up, observing
that the English were dupes to all the world; and that, in point of
genius and address, they were no more than noisy braggadocios. In short,
another pair of dice was procured, the stakes were again raised, and,
after several vicissitudes, fortune declared so much in favour of the
knight, that Fathom lost all the money in his pocket, amounting to a
pretty considerable sum. By this time he was warmed into uncommon
eagerness and impatience; being equally piqued at the success and
provoking exultations of his antagonist, whom he now invited to his
lodgings, in order to decide the contest. Sir Stentor complied with this
request; the dispute was renewed with various success, till, towards
daylight, Ferdinand saw this noisy, raw, inexperienced simpleton, carry