"That's three to you," I said coldly. "Twenty-four to nothing."
"Am I winning?"
"You're leading," I explained. "Only, you see, I may make a twenty at
any moment."
"Oh!" She thought this over. "Well, I may make my three at any moment."
She chalked her cue and went over to her ball.
"What shall I do?"
"Just touch the red on the right-hand side," I said, "and you'll go into
the pocket."
"The _right_-hand side? Do you mean _my_ right-hand side, or the
ball's?"
"The right-hand side of the ball, of course; that is to say, the side
opposite your right hand."
"But its right-hand side is opposite my _left_ hand, if the ball is
facing this way."
"Take it," I said wearily, "that the ball has its back to you."
"How rude of it," said Celia, and hit it on the left-hand side, and sank
it. "Was that what you meant?"
"Well ... it's another way of doing it."
"I thought it was. What do I give you for that?"
"_You_ get three."
"Oh, I thought the other person always got the marks. I know the last
three times----"
"Go on," I said freezingly. "You have another turn."
"Oh, is it like rounders?"
"Something. Go on, there's a dear. It's getting late."
She went, and left the red over the middle pocket.
"A-ha!" I said. I found a nice place in the "D" for my ball. "Now then.
This is the GRAY stroke, you know."
I suppose I was nervous. Anyhow, I just nicked the red ball gently on
the wrong side and left it hanging over the pocket. The white travelled
slowly up the table.
"Why is that called the grey stroke?" asked Celia with great interest.
"Because once, when Sir EDWARD GREY was playing the German
Ambassador--but it's rather a long story. I'll tell you another time."
"Oh! Well, anyhow, did the German Ambassador got anything for it?"
"No."
"Then I suppose I don't. Bother."
"But you've only got to knock the red in for game."
"Oh!.... There, what's that?"
"That's a miscue. I get one."
"Oh!.... Oh well," she added magnanimously, "I'm glad you've started
scoring. It will make it more interesting for you."
There was just room to creep in off the red, leaving it still over the
pocket. With Celia's ball nicely over the other pocket there was a
chance of my twenty break. "Let's see," I said, "how many do I want?"
"Twenty-nine," replied Celia.
"Ah," I said.... and I crept in.
"That's three to you," I said icily.
"Game."