CHAP. IV.] G. Payne ^ a Whist-Player. 



123 



time he dealt. Several witnesses testified to the latter 

 fact_, and Sir William Ingilby declared that he had seen 

 the complainant do the " sauter la coupe/' if not a 

 hundred, more than fifty times. The jury found for the 

 defendant, "which virtually established the charge of 

 cheating against the plaintiff. Mr. Payne being 

 summoned for the defence, in cross-examination gave the 

 following evidence : — 



Counsel. — You have been a good deal connected with 

 gambling transactions, I believe ? 



Witness. — Yes, I have. 



Counsel. — You have lost a great deal of money on the 

 race-course, and at cards ? 



Witness. — Yes, I have. 



Counsel. — In the early part of your -career you were 

 very unfortunate ? 



Witness. — Very much so. 



Counsel. — You lost, I believe, the whole of your patri- 

 mony ? 



Witness. — I lost a considerable portion of it. 



Counsel. — You have been more fortunate latterly ? 



Witness. — No, my whole luck has continued pretty 

 much the same throughout. 



The Solicitor-General, replying upon the whole case, 

 tried to make out that Mr. Payne had joined with Mr. 

 Brooke Greville and others in a conspiracy against Lord 

 De Eos, and stigmatized the former as a professional 

 gambler unworthy of credit. He went so far as to say 

 that the witness — Payne — having begun as a dupe, 

 ere long crystallized into something worse. This, the 

 last ounce of abuse, fairly broke the back of the 

 calumniated " camel," and so exasperated him that 



