274 Making the Running 



young and green. On the whole, therefore, he decided 

 to pay and look as pleasant as he could. The curious 

 exclamation, after the race, that remarkably earnest 

 ' Damnation,' he explained to Cecil, was wrung from him 

 because he had confused the numbers, and thought that 

 Port Admiral had just got up and beaten their good 

 thing — would Cecil dine with him on settling day and 

 receive his winnings as an appetiser ? Cecil would, and 

 did. He met some sharp- visaged strangers, who were 

 exceedingly anxious to play cards after dinner— any 

 game Cecil liked to name ; but in spite of urgent pressing 

 from the Captain, who, indeed, grew quite nettled at the 

 refusal, Cecil begged to be excused. He did not like the 

 look of his fellow-guests, nor could he quite get over that 

 ' Damnation,' and the look with which the word was 

 accompanied. 



His experience had cost him a lot of money, but he 

 considered it cheap. His aunt is about to double his 

 allowance in order that he may marry Florence — she is 

 so pleased to hear, she writes, that he never bets nor 

 gambles ; and in fact he does neither. As Florence has 

 a small fortune of her own, they will get on well enough. 

 They will go racing, I am sure ; but that Cecil will 

 impoverish himself in the pursuit of good things is 

 improbable. Of the actual facts in connection with 

 Chimney Corner's win he is not certain ; but if the truth 

 be that he profited by the roguery of others, there was, 

 at any rate, poetical justice in the circumstance that the 

 man who was bent on robbing him had been forced to 

 pay handsomely for the attempt. 



