expected with such a madman. And I'm glad to think that he
is in my debt now, and that I have been the means of keeping him out of
more harms than one."

"He has lost all his winnings, I suppose," said Pen.

"No: he is rather better than when he went away, or was a fortnight ago.
He had extraordinary luck at Baden: broke the bank several nights, and
was the fable of the place. He lied himself there with a fellow by the
name of Bloundell, who gathered about him a society of all sorts of
sharpers, male and female, Russians, Germans, French, English. Amory got
so insolent, that I was obliged to thrash him one day within an inch of
his life. I couldn't help myself; the fellow has plenty of pluck, and I
had nothing for it but to hit out."

"And did he call you out?" said Pen.

"You think if I had shot him I should have done nobody any harm? No,
sir; I waited for his challenge, but it never came and the next time I
met him he begged my pardon, and said, 'Strong, I beg your pardon; you
whopped me and you served me right.' I shook hands: but I couldn't live
with him after that. I paid him what I owed him the night before," said
Strong with a blush, "I pawned everything to pay him, and then I went
with my last ten florins, and had a shy at the roulette. If I had lost,
I should have let him shoot me in the morning. I was weary of my life.
By Jove, sir, isn't it a shame that a man like me, who may have had a
few bills out, but who never deserted a friend, or did an unfair action,
shouldn't be able to turn his hand to anything to get bread? I made a
good night, sir, at roulette, and I've done with that. I'm going into
the wine business. My wife's relations live at Cadiz. I intend to bring
over Spanish wine and hams; there's a fortune to be made by it, sir,--a
fortune--here's my card. If you want any sherry or hams, recollect
Ned Strong is your man." And the Chevalier pulled out a handsome card,
stating that Strong and Company, Shepherd's Inn, were sole agents of the
celebrated Diamond Manzanilla of the Duke of Garbanzos, Grandee of Spain
of the First Class; and of the famous Toboso hams, fed on acorns only in
the country of Don Quixote. "Come and taste 'em, sir,--come and try 'em
at my chambers. You see, I've an eye to business, and by Jove this time
I'll succeed."

Pen laughed as he took the card. "I don't know whether I shall be
allowed to go to bachelors' parties," he said. "You know I'm going
to----"

"But you must have