Colonel Thorndyke's Secret

  CHAPTER XII.

  The next morning Mark commenced work in earnest, and for two monthsvisited all the worst slums of London in company with one of the BowStreet men. Both were generally in disguise, but Mark's companionsometimes went openly to some of the houses inhabited by men well knownas criminals. On such occasions Mark remained within call, ready to goin if assistance should be required; but there was small fear of this,the men who were visited were all personally known to the officer, andgenerally greeted him with "You aint wanting me, are you?"

  "Not at all; what I am wanting is a little information for which I shallbe quite willing to pay the first man who enables us to lay hands on thegentleman I want to find." Then he would describe Bastow's appearance.

  "He has taken to the road, I fancy, and has given us a good deal oftrouble; if it is the man I think it is, he has been away from Londonfor some years, and came back eight or ten months ago."

  The reply was always to the same effect:

  "I don't know of such a man, and never heard of him. For my part,I would not split on a pal, not for anything; but I should not mindearning five guineas to put you on a cove who is not one of us. Besides,it aint only the money; you know, you might do me a good turn some day."

  "Quite so; well, I can tell you it is a good deal more than five guineasthat would be earned if you could put me in the way of laying my hand onhis shoulder. I don't think that he is living in town. I expect he isin some quiet neighborhood; still, if he is on the road, he must have ahorse somewhere. You might ask among the stables, and find out whetheranyone keeps a horse there who is in the habit of going out in theafternoon and not coming back until the next day. You have plenty oftime upon your hands, and it would pay you well if you could bring methe information I want."

  The officer said to Mark at the end of two months: "These knights of theroad don't often mix themselves up with the London housebreakers. Themost likely men to be able to tell you about the doings of such afellow would be receivers of stolen goods, but it would be dangerous toquestion any of them--they would be sure to put him on his guard. I willgive you a list of some of them, and I should say that your best waywould be to watch their places of an evening, from the time it gets darktill ten or eleven. Of course, it is just a chance. You may watch oneplace for a month and he may happen to go there the very day you havegone off to watch another crib. Still, there is just the chance, and Idon't see that there is one any other way."

  During this time Mark had been taking a lesson every evening withNeedham, and had surprised his teacher with the rapidity of hisprogress; he had said, the very evening before, when Mark had counteredhim with a blow that knocked him for two or three minutes senseless:

  "We have had enough of this, governor; you have got beyond mealtogether, and I don't want another blow like that. You had better takeon Gibbons now. You are too big altogether for me, and yet you don'tfight like a heavyweight, for you are as quick on your pins as I am."

  Well pleased at having the day to himself and of having got clear of hiswork in the thieves' rookeries, Mark went the next morning to Gibbons'shop. His entry was hailed by a chorus of barking from dogs of all sortsand sizes, from the bulldog down to the ratting terrier.

  "Glad to see you, Mr. Thorndyke," Gibbons said, when he had silenced thebarking. "I saw Jack last week, and he told me that he should hand youover to me pretty soon, for that you were getting beyond him altogether,and he thought that if you stuck to it you would give me all my work todo in another six months."

  "I finished with him last night, Gibbons, and I shall be ready to comefor a lesson to you every morning, somewhere about this hour. I havebrought my bag with my togs."

  "All right, sir, I am ready at once; the place is clear now behind. Ihave just been making it tidy, for we had a little ratting last night,one of my dogs against Sir James Collette's, fifty rats each; my dogbeat him by three quarters of a minute."

  "You will never see me here at one of those businesses. I have noobjection to stand up to a man my own size and give and take until wehave had enough, but to see rats slaughtered when they have not a chanceof making a fight of it is altogether out of my line."

  "Well, sir, I do not care about it myself; there are lots who do likeit, and are ready to wager their money on it, and as it helps to sell mydogs, besides what I can win out of the event--it was a wager of twentyguineas last night--it aint for me to set myself up against it."

  Calling a boy to look after the shop, Gibbons went away into a woodenbuilding in the back yard; it was about twenty-five feet square, andthere were holes in the floor for the stakes, when a regular ring wasmade. The floor was strewn with clean sawdust; a number of boxing gloveshung by the wall.

  "There is the dressing room," Gibbons said, pointing to a door at theother end. When both were ready he looked Mark over. "Your muscles havethickened out a good bit, sir, since I saw you strip. Before anotherfour years, if you keep on at it, you will be as big a man as I am. Iam about eight years too old, and you are four years too young. You willimprove every day, and I shan't. Now, sir, let us see what you can do.Jack tells me that you are wonderfully quick on your feet; there is theadvantage you have of me. I am as strong as ever I was, I think, but Ifind that I cannot get about as I used to."

  He stood somewhat carelessly at first, but as they sparred for anopening he became more careful, and presently hit out sharply. Markleaped back, and then, springing forward, struck out with his left;Gibbons only just stopped it and then countered, but Mark was out ofreach again.

  "That is good enough," Gibbons said; "I can see Jack has taught youpretty nearly all there is to know. We will just take those hits again.You were right to get away from the first, but the second time youshould have guarded with your left, and hit at my chin with your right.That jumping back game is first rate for avoiding punishment, but youhave got to come in again to hit. You took me by surprise that time, andnearly got home, but you would not do it twice," and so the lesson wenton for three quarters of an hour.

  "That will do for today, sir; I am getting blown, if you are not. Well,I can tell you I have never had a more promising pupil, and I havebrought forward two or three of the best men in the ring; no wonder thatJack cannot do much with you. Give me six months, every day, and youshould have a turn occasionally with other men, and I would back you fora hundred pounds against any man now in the ring."

  Three or four days later Mark received a message that the chief wantedto speak with him that afternoon, and he accordingly went down.

  "I've got a job for you, Mr. Thorndyke; it is just the sort of thingthat will suit you. There is a house in Buckingham Street that we havehad our eye on for some time; it is a gambling house, but with that wehave nothing to do unless complaints are made, but we have had severalcomplaints of late. It is a well got up place, and there are a good manymen of title frequent it, but men of title are not always more honestthan other people; anyhow, there are some rooks there, and severalyoung fellows of means have been pigeoned and ruined. They are mightyparticular who they let in, and there would be very little chance ofgetting my regular men in there. Now, you are a stranger in London, butyou have friends here, and no doubt you could get introduced. We wantto know if the play is fair; if it isn't, we would break the place upaltogether. We know enough to do it now; but none of the poor beggarswho have been ruined will come forward, and, indeed, haven't any idea,I think, that they have lost their money in anything but a run of badluck.

  "One young fellow blew his brains out last week, and his father camehere with a list of what are called debts of honor, which he found inhis room. There they are, and the names of the men they are owed to; ofcourse some of them have been fairly won, but I have a strong suspicionthat those I have marked with a cross have not been. For instance, thereis Sir James Flash, a fellow who was turned out of White's two yearsago for sharp practice with cards; there is John Emerson, he is a man ofgood family, but all his friends have given him up long ago, and he hasbeen living by his wits
for the last five years. The others markedare all of the same sort. Now, what I want you to do is to become afrequenter of the place; of course you will have to play a little, andas you are a stranger I expect that they will let you win for a bit;but if not the old gentleman has placed 200 pounds in my hands for theexpenses."

  "I could play with my own money," Mark said rather warmly.

  "You forget, Mr. Thorndyke," the chief said firmly, "that at the presentmoment you are a member of my force, and that you go to this place inthat capacity, and not as Squire of Crowswood; therefore you must, ifyou please, do as I instruct you. The gentleman will be ready to paythat sum. As you see, the amounts entered here total up to nearly 10,000pounds. He said that it will ruin him to pay that sum, but that hemust do so rather than his son should be branded as a defaulter. I haveadvised him to write to all these people saying that it will take himsome time to raise the money, but that he will see that nobody shall bea loser by his son's debts. I have told him in the meantime that I willendeavor to get proof that the play was not fair, and in that case hewould, of course, refuse to pay any of the claims on that ground; andyou may be sure that if unfair play was proved none of those concernedwould dare to press their claims."

  "Then my function would be simply to watch?"

  "Yes, to watch, and to bring me word of anything you may observe. Yousee, without making a public scandal, if it could be found that a manwas discovered cheating, and the way in which he was doing it, one wouldbe able to put so strong a pressure on him, that not only might he beforced to abstain from going to any club, but would be frightened intogiving up any IOUs he might hold."

  "I shall be glad to do the best I can, sir; but frankly I know nextto nothing of cards, and should have but little chance of detectinganything that might be going on, when it must be done so cleverly thatexperienced gamblers, watching a man closely, fail to see anythingwrong."

  "I quite understand that; but one of my men has made a study of thevarious methods employed by gamblers to cheat, and although it wouldtake you years to learn how to do it yourself, a few hours' instructionfrom him would at least put you up to some of their methods, and enableyou to know where to look for cheating. The man is now waiting in thenext room, and if you will take two or three hours daily with him, sayfor a week, you ought to be able to detect the doings of these fellowswhen to others everything seems right and above board. You may have noinclination for cards, but knowledge of that sort is useful to anyonein society, here or anywhere else, and may enable him either to save hisown pocket or to do a service to a friend."

  Mark was greatly interested in the tricks the man showed him. At firstit seemed to him almost magical, after he himself had shuffled the cardsand cut them the dealer invariably turned up a king. Even admitting hemight have various places of concealment, pockets in the lining of thesleeve, in the inside of the coat, and in various other parts ofthe dress, in which cards could be concealed and drawn out by silkenthreads, it did not seem possible that this could be done with suchquickness as to be unobserved. It was only when his teacher showed him,at first in the slowest manner, and then gradually increasing his speed,that he perceived that what seemed impossible was easy enough when thenecessary practice and skill had been attained. The man was indeed anadept at a great variety of tricks by which the unsuspecting could betaken in.

  "I ought to know," he said. "I was for three years in a gambling housein Paris, where every other man was a sharper. I have been in places ofthe same sort in Belgium, Holland, Germany, and Italy. At first I wasonly a boy waiter, and as until evening there was nothing doing at theseplaces, men would sometimes amuse themselves by teaching me tricks, easyones to begin with, and when they saw I was sharp and quick handed theywent on. After a time I began to work as a confederate, and at last onmy own account; but I got disgusted with it at last. A young fellow shothimself at the table of the gambling house at Rome, and at another placeI was nearly killed by a man who had lost heavily--do you see, it hasleft a broad scar right across my forehead?--so I gave it up.

  "I was in the French police for a time, and used to watch some of thelower hells. I was nearly killed there once or twice, and at last Icame back here. My French chief gave me a letter to the chief, and I wastaken on at once, for, talking as I do half a dozen languages, and beingacquainted with most of the swell mobsmen of Paris, I was just the manwho happened to be wanted here at the time. Since I came over I havedone a good deal in the way of breaking up hells where sailors andothers are plundered. But, you see, I cannot be used for the higherclass of work; my nose has been broken, and I have half a dozen scars onmy face. I hate the sight of cards now. I have seen so much of the ruinthey do, and have, I am sorry to say, taken a hand so often in doing it,that save showing someone who would use the knowledge in the right wayhow the tricks are done, nothing would persuade me to touch them again.However, as a protection, the knowledge is as useful as it is dangerouswhen used the other way. It would take you ten years to learn to dothese tricks yourself so well as to defy detection; but in a very shorttime, by learning where to keep your eyes, you would get to detectalmost any of them.

  "You see, there are three methods of cheating: the first by hiddencards, the second by marked cards, the third simply by sleight of hand,this being generally used in connection with marked cards. These tricksrequire great skill and extreme delicacy of touch, for the marks,which are generally at the edge of the cards, are so slight as to bealtogether imperceptible save to a trained hand. There are also marks onthe back of the cards; these are done in the printing, and are so slightthat, unless attention were attracted to them, no one would dream oftheir existence."

  In the course of a week's practice Mark learned where to look forcheating; he could not indeed follow the fingers of his instructor, foreven when he knew what was going to be done, the movements were so rapidthat his eye could not follow them, and in nine cases out of ten hewas unable to say whether the coup had been accomplished or not; buthe could see that there was a slight movement of the fingers that couldonly mean that something was being done.

  "It would be a good thing," he said one day, "if every young fellowbefore going out into the world were to have a course of suchinstruction as you are giving me; he would learn, at least, the absolutefolly of sitting down to play cards with strangers. He would see thathe could be robbed in fifty different ways, and would be at the absolutemercy of any sharper. I never had any inclination for gambling, but ifI had been inclined that way you would have cured me of the passion forlife."

  The week's instruction was lengthened to a fortnight, and at the end ofthat time Mark went to Dick Chetwynd.

  "Do you know, Dick," he said, "a gambling place in Buckingham Street?"

  "I know that there is a hell there, Mark, but I have never been in it.Why do you ask?"

  "I have rather a fancy to go there," he replied. "I hear that, althougha good many men of fashion haunt the place, the crowd is rather a mixedone."

  "It has a bad name, Mark; I have heard some queer reports about it."

  "Yes, so have I. I should think that it is a very likely place for a manlike Bastow to go to if he has any liking for play. Of course he wouldget up as a gentleman. At any rate, I have been making what inquiriesI can in some of the thieves' quarters, and have come to the conclusionthat he is not likely to have taken up his abode there, and I don'tthink I can do better than make a round of some of these doubtfulhouses. I should like to begin with this, and then work downwards."

  "Well, I dare say I could manage it, Mark; I know half a dozen men whoplay there; they say there is more fun and excitement to be got thanat White's or Crockford's, or any of those places. Some men, of course,play high, but a good many who go there only risk a few guineas; some gobecause it is the proper thing at present for a man about town either toplay or to bet on horses or cock fights, or to patronize the ring; and,after all, it is easier to stroll for an hour or two of an evening intocomfortable rooms, where you meet a lively set and there is champagnealwa
ys going, than it is to attend races or prize fights."

  Very few days passed that Mark did not go in for half an hour's chatwith his friend, and two days after this conversation Dick said:

  "By the way, Mark, I have arranged for us to go to that hell tonight;young Boldero, who is a member of my club, told me some time ago that heplayed there sometimes. I met him yesterday evening, and said that I hada fancy to go and have a look at it, and that a friend of mine from thecountry also wanted to go; he said at once that he would take us there.

  "'I should advise you not to play much, Chetwynd,' he said; 'sometimesthey play uncommonly high, and there are some fellows who have wonderfulluck. Of course, on ordinary occasions, when the play is low, you couldstake a few guineas there as well as elsewhere, but when really highplay is on we small fish always stand out. All I can say is that I havenever seen anything that savors of foul play in the smallest degree; butyou understand how it is, if one man happens to have a big run of luck,there are always fellows who go about hinting that there is somethingwrong in it. However, it is a jolly place to drop into, and, of coursethere is no occasion to play always, and if one loses one is likely towin on the next race or on the next fight.'"

  Accordingly that evening Mark met Boldero, whom he had once or twicebefore seen in Dick's company, and the three went together to the housein Buckingham Street. Boldero nodded to the doorkeeper as he went in,and they then proceeded upstairs and entered a handsome room, withcomfortable sofas and chairs, on which a dozen men were seated, for themost part smoking. Several champagne bottles stood on the tables, andall who liked helped themselves. Boldero was known to several of thosepresent, while two or three were also known to Dick. Boldero introducedthem both to his friends. One of these was the Hon. John Emerson, a manof some five and thirty, with a languid air and a slight drawl.

  "Glad to make your acquaintance, sir," he said to Mark. "Have you beenlong in town?"

  "Two or three months only," Mark replied.

  "Is this your first visit here?"

  "Yes, this is my first visit to any place of the sort, but I thoughtthat I should like to go the rounds before I went home again."

  "Quite so. Going to punt a few guineas, I suppose?"

  "Yes, I suppose that is the right thing to do."

  "Well, everyone who comes is expected to do a little that way; there isno occasion to play high."

  "Oh, I should not like to do that," Mark said innocently; "indeed, Iknow very little about cards."

  "Oh, that is quite immaterial so long as you only play games of chance;in fact, you don't want to know anything about them. You see othersstaking their money, some on one side of the table, and some on theother; you place your money whichever side you like, and take yourchance. There is no skill in it. Some people play on what they call asystem, but there is nothing in it; you have just as much chance if youput your money down blindfolded. If luck is with you, you win; if luckis against you, you lose."

  After chatting for a few minutes Mark went with his two companionsupstairs. The room they now entered was furnished as a drawing room,except that in the middle was a table, round which some fifteen peoplewere seated, while as many more looked on; round the room were severalsmall tables, on which were packs of cards. These were for those whopreferred to play piquet or ecarte, two or three couples being soengaged. Mark knew enough of cards to know that hazard was being playedat the large table. There was an inner room, and Mark strolled acrossand looked in. It was at present untenanted; it contained a center tablecapable of holding four, and two or three small ones, with two chairsset in readiness to each.

  "That is where the heavy play goes on," Boldero said. "None of your fouror five guineas wagers there, fifties and hundreds are nearer the mark,and I have seen a thousand wagered many a time. It is exciting work evenlooking on, I can tell you; what it must be for the players I cannotsay, but I should think it must be frightful."

  Mark took up his stand at the hazard table, and after looking on forsome little time began to play. Beginning with guineas, he gradually, asluck favored him, played five guineas, and after half an hour's play wonfifty. Then luck turned, and in a few minutes he had lost all he won.

  "You ought to have stopped, Mark," Dick said reproachfully, as hestepped back from his place, which was at once filled by one who hadbeen standing behind him.

  The play in the inner room had now begun, and Mark went in and joinedthose who were looking on. In half an hour one of the players had hadenough, and a young man said to Emerson, who was standing on the otherside of the table:

  "Now, Mr. Emerson, will you give me my revenge?"

  "I would really rather not, Mr. Cotter. The luck has been so one sidedlately that I would rather leave it alone."

  "But it may turn tonight," the other said. "At any rate, I will try it,if you have no objection."

  There was a certain eagerness in the young man's voice that caused Markto watch him closely. He was a good looking young fellow, but his facewas not a strong one; and although he evidently tried to assume anappearance of indifference as he sat down, there was a nervous movementof his fingers. Mark took his place behind him as play began. The gamewas ecarte, and for a time Emerson lost.

  "I think the luck has changed, Mr. Cotter, but as we generally raise thestakes after playing for a bit, I am ready to do so. Shall we make itfifty pounds again?"

  "With pleasure," the young man said.

  He won the next two games, then for some time they won alternately.

  "Shall we say a hundred again?" he said.

  "As you like," Emerson replied. "We don't seem to get much forwardereither way at present."

  A considerable number of lookers on had now gathered round. So far Mark,although watching the fingers of the opposite player intently, had seenno sign whatever of unfair play. He now redoubled his attention. Cotterwon the first game, his adversary the three next. Mark noticed now thatafter looking at his hand Emerson looked abstractedly, as if meditatingbefore taking the next step; there was no expression in his face, butMark fancied that his eyes rested for a moment on the man standing nextto himself. He looked at his watch and then, as if finding the hourlater than he had expected, moved away from his place, and presentlyjoined Dick, who was standing with Boldero on the other side of thetable.

  "Who is that man playing with Emerson?" he asked in a whisper.

  "He is the son of Cotter, the head of Cotter's Bank, in Lombard Street."

  As the men were standing two or three deep round the table, Mark couldnot see the table itself, but this mattered little, for his attentionwas entirely directed towards the man standing behind Cotter's chair. Hesaw that after glancing down at the young man's hand he looked across asif seeing what Emerson was going to do; sometimes his eyes droppedfor an instant, at other times there was no such movement, and afternoticing this four or five times, and noticing the course Emerson took,he had no doubt whatever in his own mind that the movement of the man'seyes was an intimation to Emerson of the nature of Cotter's hand. Theyoung man had lost four games in succession; he had grown very pale, butshowed no other signs of agitation. Presently he said:

  "You have your usual luck again; I will only play one more game tonight,but we may as well make it worth playing. Shall we say five hundred?"

  "At your service," Emerson replied.

  This time the face of the man standing behind Cotter's chair wasimmovable, and Mark, placing himself behind a short man and straininghis head forward, saw that Cotter scored four. The next time there wasstill no sign. Emerson showed a king and scored it, and then won everytrick and the game.

  "That makes nine hundred pounds," the young man said quietly, writingan IOU for that amount and handing it to Emerson. There was a generalmovement of the spectators, and two fresh players took the seats vacatedby the late antagonists.

  "Who was the man standing behind Cotter's chair?" Mark asked Boldero.

  "That is Sir James Flash. He is just going to play, you see; it is sureto be another
hot game, and an interesting one."

  "Well, I think I will go," Mark said; "the heat of the room has given mea bit of a headache. I will see you tomorrow, Dick."

  "Good night, old man," Chetwynd said; and, shaking hands with Boldero,Mark went downstairs immediately after Cotter. The latter went into theroom below, drank off a tumbler of champagne, and then went down, tookhis hat, and went out. Mark followed him for a short distance, andjoined him as soon as he got up into the Strand.

  "Mr. Cotter," he said, "I have not the pleasure of knowing youpersonally, and I must introduce myself. My name is Mark Thorndyke,and I am the owner of an estate close to Reigate. Would you mind myexchanging a few words with you?"

  Cotter looked up, and was about to give a flat refusal, but theexpression of Mark's face was so friendly and pleasant that he changedhis mind and said in a hard voice:

  "I really do not know what you can have to say to me, Mr. Thorndyke, butof course I can hardly refuse to hear you."

  They walked across the road and turned up a quiet street.

  "For certain reasons it is not necessary for me to explain," Mark said,"I went to that place for the first time tonight, and I watched the playbetween you and Mr. Emerson."

  "It does not matter, sir; I lost, and I am not going there again."

  "I hope, on the contrary, that you will go there again, Mr. Cotter. If Imistake not, from what I heard, you have lost considerable sums to thatman."

  "I imagine, sir, that that is no business of a stranger."

  "In no way personally," Mark replied, not heeding the angry ring inthe voice, "but as an honest man it does concern me. I am absolutelyconvinced, sir, that that money has not been won from you fairly."

  The young man gave a start.

  "Impossible!" he said shortly. "Mr. Emerson is a man of good family anda gentleman."

  "He is a man of good family, I admit, but certainly not a gentleman; hisantecedents are notorious."

  "I have never heard a word against him; he is intimate with Sir JamesFlash and other gentlemen of position."

  "I am not surprised, that you have not heard of it; it was probablyto the interest of several persons that you should not do so. Nor doI suppose that you are aware that Sir James Flash was himself expelledfrom White's for cheating at cards."

  "Impossible!" Mr. Cotter replied.

  "I can assure you of the fact," Mark said quietly. "Probably you haveamong your acquaintances some members of White's. I am sure if you askthem they will confirm the fact. Now, sir, I can assure you that Ihave no interest in this matter, save to prevent a gentleman from beingruined by blacklegs. May I ask how much you owe to Mr. Emerson and SirJames Flash?"

  The young man hesitated. "I believe you, sir," he said at last. "Theyhold my IOUs for 29,000 pounds. I need hardly say it is absolute ruin.My intention is to make a clean breast to my father about it tomorrowmorning. My father will give me the money, in the first place because heloves me and would save my name from disgrace, and in the second becausewere I posted as a defaulter it would strike a severe blow at the creditof the bank. So he will give me the money, but he will bid me leave hishouse forever. That will matter little, for I shall pay the money, andtomorrow night I shall blow out my brains."

  "Well, sir, if you will follow my advice you will neither pay themoney nor blow out your brains. I saw enough tonight to feel absolutelycertain that you have been cheated. Sir James Flash stood behind you,and was, I am sure, signaling your hand to Emerson. I believe thatEmerson played fair otherwise, until the last game, but I am convincedthat he then cheated. You had good hands, but he had better; andalthough I did not see him cheat--for I was on the other side of thetable--I am convinced that he did so. Now, sir, I advise you to go inas usual tomorrow evening, and to play, raising your stakes as you didtonight. When the times comes I will expose him. Should I not be able todetect him we must try another night. I am so much convinced that thisis the case, and that I shall succeed, that whether you play one nightor three I will guarantee that you shall be no loser, but will, on thehonor of a gentleman, place in your hands the amount of your losses; sothat you will not have to ask your father for a check larger than youwould do if you confessed to him tomorrow morning. I only ask in returnthat you, on your part, will give me your word of honor that you willnever touch a card again after you rise from the table."

  "I cannot accept so generous an offer from a stranger," Cotter said in alow tone.

  "I do not think that it is generous," Mark replied quietly, "because Iam perfectly convinced that I shall not have to pay at all. Have you anyother IOUs out?"

  "I have given them for about 5000 pounds, but that is not in additionto the 29,000 pounds. Emerson told me that as he knew that I should havedifficulty in paying them at the present moment, he had taken them up,and held them with his own."

  "Will you give me the names of the persons to whom you gave them in thefirst place?"

  "Certainly;" and he mentioned three names, all of which stood with ablack cross against them on Mark's list.

  "Thank you. Then you will go tomorrow night again?"

  "Yes; and I swear to you that I will never touch a card afterwards."

  "I don't think that you need fear," Mark said. "I have not been long inLondon, but I happen to have been shown a good many of the tricks thatthese blacklegs play on greenhorns, which will account for my havingnoticed what has never been observed by the honest portion of the menwho frequent the place. Now I will say good night, sir. I shall bebehind your chair or his tomorrow night."

  "I don't know what to say," Cotter said hesitatingly.

  "There is no occasion to say anything; it is the duty of every honestman to interfere if he sees another honest man being robbed, and that ismy sole object in this matter. Good night;" and turning round, he walkedrapidly away.