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Updated: June 5, 2025
The next moment the door itself was thrown open from within; a flood of light burst forth upon the gloomy landing from the room beyond, the babel of many voices became loud and clear, and as the two men stood for a moment beneath the lintel a veritable chorus of many exclamations greeted them from every side. "Walterton! begad!" "And Overbury, too!" "How late ye come!"
"Five pounds that Segrave wins," said Overbury. "A queen," said Endicott, turning up his card. "I pay king and ace only." Everyone had to pay the bank, for all turned up low cards; Segrave alone had not yet turned up his. "Well! what is your card, Master Segrave?" queried Lord Walterton lightly. "An ace!" said Segrave simply, displaying the ace of hearts.
"And in a little quiet game, my good young friend," added Endicott, also in a whisper, "'tis wisest to take no heed of a loser's vapors." "I pay ace only!" quoth Segrave triumphantly, who in the meanwhile had continued the game. Lord Walterton swore a loud and prolonged oath. He had staked five guineas on a king and had lost.
In the meanwhile Lord Walterton, halting of speech, insecure of foothold, after his third bumper of heady sack, was explaining to Sir Michael Isherwood the mysteries of his system for playing the noble game of primero.
Then write your letters to my Lord Walterton and Sir James Overbury. Get a serving wench from Alverstone's in the Strand, and ask the gentlemen to bring their own men, for the sake of greater safety. They'll not refuse." "Refuse?" she said with a light laugh, "oh, no!" "To-day being Tuesday, you should have your first evening entertainment on Friday. Everything could be ready by then." "Oh, yes!"
Lord Walterton quite straddled in his gait, so wide were his boot tops, and there was an extraordinary maze of tags and ribands round the edge of Sir James Overbury's breeches. "Make your game, gentlemen, make your game," said the latter as he advanced further into the room.
"A smart cavalier, old Swarthmore," assented Sir Michael gruffly, "and nathless, a true friend to you, Endicott," he added significantly. "Another deal, Master Endicott," said Segrave, who for the last quarter of an hour had vainly tried to engage the bank-holder's attention. Nor was Lord Walterton averse to this.
"No good betting against the luck," said young Walterton lightly, as he handed five sovereigns over to his friend, "moreover it spoils my system." "Ye play primero on a system!" quoth Sir Michael Isherwood in deep amazement. "Yes!" replied the young man. "I have played on it for years ... and it is infallible, 'pon my honor."
"But ventre-saint-gris!" ejaculated Lord Walterton, who showed an inclination to become quarrelsome in his cups, "we must have someone to take Endicott's place, I cannot work my system hic ... if so few play...." "Perhaps your young friend, Sir Marmaduke ..." suggested Mistress Endicott, waving an embroidered handkerchief in the direction of Richard Lambert.
No resistance now was offered, and after a slight moment of hesitation and a brief consultation 'twixt the more prominent cavaliers there present, Lord Walterton stepped forward and having unbuckled his sword, threw it with no small measure of arrogance and disdain at the feet of Captain Gunning.
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