THE LESSON INTERRUPTED.
The moment the trial of Richard Markham was concluded, Sir Rupert
Harborough and Mr. Chichester bade a cold and hasty adieu to Mr. Talbot,
and left the court together.
They wended their way up the Old Bailey, turned into Newgate Street, and
thence proceeded down Butcher-hall Lane towards Bartholomew Close; for
in that large dreary Square did Mr. Chichester now occupy a cheap
lodging.
This lodging consisted of a couple of small and ill-furnished rooms on
the second floor. When the two gentlemen arrived there, it was past five
o'clock--for the trial had lasted the entire day; and a dirty cloth was
laid for dinner in the front apartment. Black-handled knives and forks,
a japanned pepper-box, pewter saltcellar and mustard pot, and common
white plates with a blue edge, constituted the "service." The dinner
itself was equally humble--consisting of mutton-chops and potatoes,
flanked by a pot of porter.
The baronet and the fashionable gentleman took their seats in silence,
and partook of the meal without much appetite. There was a damp upon
their spirits: they were not so utterly depraved as to be altogether
unmindful of the detestable part they had played towards Markham; and
their own affairs were moreover in a desperate condition.
A slip-shod, dirty, familiar girl cleared away the dinner things; and
the gentlemen then took to gin-and-water and cigars. For some minutes
they smoked in silence; till at length the baronet, stamping his foot
impatiently upon the floor, exclaimed, "My God! Chichester, is nothing
to be done?"
"I really don't know," answered that individual. "You heard how deucedly
I got exposed to-day in the witness-box; and after that I should not
dare show up at the west-end for weeks and months to come--even if the
sheriff's officers weren't looking out for me."
"Well, something must be done," observed the baronet. "Here am I,
playing at hide-and-seek as well as you--all my horses sold--my
furniture seized--my carriages made away with--my plate pawned--and not
a guinea--not a guinea left!"
"What should you say to a trip into the country?" demanded Chichester,
after a pause. "London is too hot for both of us--at least for the
present; indeed my surprise is that we were not arrested on those
infernal bills, coming out of the court. But, as I was saying--a trip
into the country might do more good. To be sure, this is no time for the
watering places: we might, however, pay a visit to Hastings, Bath, and
Cheltenham on a venture."
"And what could we do for ourselves there?"
"Why--pick up flats, to be sure!"
"You know, Chichester, that I am not able to work the cards and dice as
you can."
"Then you must learn, as I did."
"And who will teach me?"
"Why--myself, to be sure! Could you have a better master than Arthur
Chichester?"
"But it would take so long to understand all these manoeuvres--I
should never have the patience."
"Oh! nonsense, Harborough. Come--what do you say? Three days' practice,
and we will be off?"
"But the money--the funds to move with?" cried the baronet, impatiently.
"I am literally reduced to my last guinea."
"Oh! as for that," returned Chichester, "I will engage to get a twenty
pound note from my father to-morrow; and with that supply we can safely
start off on our expedition."
"Well--if you can rely upon doing this," observed the baronet, "we will
put your plan into execution. So let us lose no time; but please to give
me my first lesson."
"That's what I call business," cried Chichester, rising from his seat
and drawing the curtains, while the baronet lighted the two tallow
candles that adorned the wooden mantel-piece.
Chichester locked the door of the room, and then produced from his
writing-desk the necessary implements of a gambler--packs of cards,
dice-boxes, and dice.
Having reseated himself, he took up a pair of dice and a box, and said,
"Now, my dear fellow, be a good boy, and learn your lesson well. You
will soon meet with your reward."
"I am all attention," observed the baronet.
"In the first place I shall show you how to _secure_," continued
Chichester; "and as you know the game of _Hazard_ well enough, I need
say but little more on that head. There are two ways of _securing_. The
first is to hold one of the dice between the fore and middle fingers, or
the middle and third fingers, against the side of the box, so that one
finger must cover the top of the die--in this way, you see."
[Illustration]
"I understand," said the baronet, attentively watching the proceedings
of his companion, who by certain clever and adroit manipulations with
the dice-box, illustrated his oral descriptions.
"This system is not so easy as the second, which I shall presently show
you," continued Chichester; "because the die must be kept cleverly
inside the box, so as not to be seen. The second way of _securing_ is by
taking hold of one of the dice by the little finger, and keeping it firm
against the palm of the hand while you shake the box, so as to be able
to drop it skilfully upon the table at the proper moment, when it will
seem as if it came from the box along with the other. This is the way."
[Illustration]
"I shall soon understand," said the baronet. "Of course by being able to
_secure_ one die, you may make it turn up any number you choose."
"When you mean to practise this dodge," continued Chichester, "call five
for _a main_; because you can _secure_ the four, and there is only the
six on the loose die that can come up against you. If you have a good
stake to get, _secure_ a five every time; because when the _main_ is six
to five, or seven to five, or eight to five, or nine to five, or ten to
five, you _must_ win every time, because you can't possibly throw out
while the five is _secured_."
"But will not the ear tell the _pigeon_ that there is only one die
rattling in the box?" demanded the baronet.
"Look at this box," exclaimed Chichester. "It has two rims cut inside,
near the bottom: the one die shaking against them produces the sound of
two dice."
"Are there not some peculiarities about these dice?" asked Sir Rupert,
pointing to a pair which Chichester had placed apart from the rest.
"Yes--those are _unequal dice_, and are so well made that no one, except
a regular sharper, could detect them. They are bigger at one end than
the other, and the sixes are placed on the smaller squares, because you
must play with these dice to win upon high numbers, which are on those
smaller squares. The dice will in nine cases out of ten fall upon the
larger squares, and thus show the high numbers uppermost."
[Illustration]
"And these dice?" enquired the baronet, taking up two others.
"Loaded ones," replied Chichester. "These are to throw low; and so the
two sides which have got four and five on them are loaded."
[Illustration]
"How are they loaded?" asked Sir Rupert.
"The corner pip of the four side, next to the five side, is bored very
neatly to a certain depth: the same is done to the corner pip of the
five side, adjoining the four side. Thus the two holes, so bored, meet
each other at right angles. One of the holes is covered over with some
strong cement: quicksilver is then poured in; and the other hole is
covered over with the cement. The spots are blackened; and your dice are
ready for use. These being intended to throw low, you must call a main,
and take the odds accordingly."
"Well," said the baronet, "I think I can now safely say that I know
enough of the elements of your grammar to enable me to practise myself.
Let us devote half an hour to the working of cards."
"The ways of managing the cards," said Chichester, taking up a pack, and
shuffling them, "are numerous. These, for instance, are _Longs and
Shorts_. All the cards above the eight, are the least thing longer than
those below it. I have a machine which was invented on purpose to cut
them accurately. Nothing under an eight can be cut, you see, with these
cards, lengthways."
"And that pack so carefully wrapped up in the paper?"
"Oh! these are my _Concaves_ and _Convexes_. All from the two to the
seven are cut concave; and all from the eight to the king are cut
convex. By cutting the pack breadthways a convex card is cut; by
cutting it lengthways, a concave one is secured."
[Illustration]
"I have often heard of _the bridge_," said Sir Rupert; "what does that
mean?"
"Oh! _the bridge_ is simply and easily done," replied Chichester,
shuffling the pack which he held in his hand. "You see it is nothing but
slightly curving a card, and introducing it carelessly into the pack.
Shuffle the cards as your opponent will, you are sure to be able to cut
the bridged one."
[Illustration]
"I could do that without study," observed Sir Rupert Harborough. "Is my
initiation now complete?"
"There are several other schemes with the cards," answered Chichester,
"but I think that I have taught you enough for this evening. One famous
device, however, must not be forgotten. You have heard of the way in
which Lord de Roos lately attempted to cheat his noble companions at the
club? The plan practised by him is called _sauter la coupe_, and enables
the dealer to do what he chooses with one particular card, which of
course he has selected for this purpose. Now look how it is done; for I
can better show practically than explain verbally."
[Illustration]
Scarcely was this portion of the lesson accomplished, when steps were
heard ascending the stairs; and immediately afterwards a heavy fist
knocked with more violence than courtesy at the parlour door.
The baronet and Chichester both turned pale.
"They can't have found us out here?" murmured the one to the other in a
hoarse and tremulous tone.
"What shall we do?"
"We must open--happen what will."
Chichester unlocked the door: two ill-looking men entered the room.
"Mr. Arthur Chichester?" said one.
"He isn't here--we don't know him. My name is Davis--ask the landlady if
it is not," cried Chichester hurriedly, and in a manner which only
served to convince the officer that he was right.
"Come--come, none of that there gammon," said the bailiff. "I knows you
well enough: my name's Garnell; and I'll stand the risk of your being
Chichester. Here's execution out against you for four hundred and
forty-seven pounds. I don't suppose that you can pay--so you'd better
come off at once."
"Where to?" demanded Chichester, seeing that it was no use disputing his
own identity any longer.
"Where to!" cried the officer; "why--to Whitecross, to be sure! Where
the devil would you go to?"
"Can I not be allowed to sleep in a sponging-house?"
"No--this is an execution, and a large sum, mind. I don't dare do it."
"Well, then--here goes for Whitecross Street!" said Chichester; and
after exchanging a few words in a whisper with the baronet, he left the
house with the sheriff's officers.