68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 |
1 | 198 | 396 | 594 | 792 |
'
Miller ought to have trumped the diamond, oughtn't he, Sir?' said the
old lady.
Mr Pickwick nodded assent.
'Ought I, though?' said the unfortunate, with a doubtful appeal to his
partner.
'
'
'
'
'
'
'
'
You ought, Sir,' said the fat gentleman, in an awful voice.
Very sorry,' said the crestfallen Miller.
Much use that,' growled the fat gentleman.
Two by honours - makes us eight,' said Mr Pickwick.
Another hand. 'Can you one?' inquired the old lady.
I can,' replied Mr Pickwick. 'Double, single, and the rub.'
Never was such luck,' said Mr Miller.
Never was such cards,' said the fat gentleman.
A solemn silence; Mr Pickwick humorous, the old lady serious, the fat
gentleman captious, and Mr Miller timorous.
'
Another double,' said the old lady, triumphantly making a
memorandum of the circumstance, by placing one sixpence and a
battered halfpenny under the candlestick.
'
'
A double, sir,' said Mr Pickwick.
Quite aware of the fact, Sir,' replied the fat gentleman sharply.
Another game, with a similar result, was followed by a revoke from the
unlucky Miller; on which the fat gentleman burst into a state of high
personal excitement which lasted until the conclusion of the game,
when he retired into a corner, and remained perfectly mute for one
hour and twenty-seven minutes; at the end of which time he emerged
from his retirement, and offered Mr Pickwick a pinch of snuff with the
air of a man who had made up his mind to a Christian forgiveness of
injuries sustained. The old lady's hearing decidedly improved and the
unlucky Miller felt as much out of his element as a dolphin in a
sentry-box.
Meanwhile the round game proceeded right merrily. Isabella Wardle
and Mr Trundle 'went partners,' and Emily Wardle and Mr Snodgrass
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