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As a weapon of either offense or defense it was an absurdity, unless one accepted Liddy's hypothesis of a ghost, and even then, as Halsey pointed out, a billiard-playing ghost would be a very modern evolution of an ancient institution. That afternoon we, Gertrude, Halsey and I, attended the coroner's inquest in town.
"Playing billiards became 'my custom always of the afternoon. Those who confess to billiard-playing commonly make some kind of an excuse. . . . It suffices to me that I like billiards, and the attainment of the pleasure given I regard as a sufficient motive.
Only shreds of sensation, caught up in our flight from one action to another, serve as signals for the meanings which concern us. In proportion as action is prompt and effective, does the cue as such tend to disappear, until, in all matters of skill, piano-playing, fencing, billiard-playing, the sight or sound which serves as cue drops almost together out of consciousness.
If none, we are bankrupt here, and must go abroad, I suppose. Mr Twemlow, in his good-natured desire to make the best of it, remarks that there are pleasant lives abroad. 'Yes, returns Mrs Lammle, still sketching on the wall; 'but I doubt whether billiard-playing, card-playing, and so forth, for the means to live under suspicion at a dirty table-d'hote, is one of them.
The awkward part of the billiard-playing episode was that the punishment for it, if detected, was not expulsion, but flogging. And Farnie resembled the lady in The Ingoldsby Legends who 'didn't mind death, but who couldn't stand pinching'. He didn't mind expulsion he was used to it, but he could not stand flogging. 'That'll be all right, he said. And the money changed hands.
As in billiard-playing, shooting, cricket, and all these other facilities which are partly mental and partly physical, many never can pass a certain point of mediocrity; but still even those who have the talent must practise it, and only become really distinguished after hard work. So it is in art. Music and painting are not to be attained by the crowd.
His speciality was swindling, billiard-playing, card-playing, borrowing money, obtaining goods, never risking more than two or three coups in a year. But others plundered houses, stole bracelets, watches, diamonds made as much in a night as he did in six months only their occupation was more dangerous. Now came the question why more dangerous?
"If Prince likes any billiard-playing boy better than Archie, I don't think much of his sense," she said severely. "Of course he doesn't; but, you see, Charlie and Arch are both as proud as they can be, and won't give in.
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