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No comedies or other diversions, neither cock-fighting nor bear-baiting, and abuse of my Lord Protector and his rigorous disciplinarian laws had already become stale. The women talked dress and coiffure, the new puffs, the fanciful pinners. But at the center table Segrave still sat, refusing all refreshment, waiting with obvious impatience for the ending of this unwelcome interval.
The more the wine got into his head, the more unsteady his hand became, the more strong was his desire to woo the goddess whose broken-nosed image seemed to be luring him to fortune. "You are right, Master Segrave," he said thickly, "we are wasting valuable time.
One of the squire's horses trotted me over; I came upon Colonel Hibbert Segrave near the Club-house, and heard that my father was off again: 'But your German prince and papa-in-law shall be free of the Club for the next fortnight, said he, and cordially asked to have the date of the marriage. My face astonished him. He excused himself for speaking of this happy event so abruptly.
"Par Dieu!" he retorted, speaking roughly, and none too civilly over his shoulder, "my pockets are empty.... Like Master Lambert here," he added with an unmistakable sneer, "I find no pleasure in this sort of game!" "What do you mean?" queried Segrave hotly. "Oh, nothing," rejoined the other dryly, "you need not heed my remark. Are you not losing, too?"
"There lies the money," he said, speaking directly to Segrave, "take it, sir, for I had never the intention to touch a penny of it.... This I swear by all that I hold most sacred.... Take it without fear or remorse even though you thought such evil things of me ... and let him who still thinks me a thief, repeat it now to my face an he dare!"
"Twenty pounds I see," replied the young man, as with a careless hand he counted over the gold which lay pell-mell on his card; "I staked on the king without counting." Segrave in his turn pushed some gold towards him. The pile in front of him was not half the size it had been before this stranger from the country had sat down to play.
"We two then, Master Lambert," said Segrave with ever-growing excitement, "what say you? Double or quits?" And he pointed, with that same febrile movement of his, to the heap of gold standing on the table beside Lambert. "As you please," replied the latter quietly, as he pushed the entire pile forward. Segrave dealt, then turned up his card. "Ten!" he said curtly.
Some ran like frightened sheep to the distant corners of the room, fearful lest they be embroiled in this unpleasant fracas ... others crowded round Segrave and Lambert, trying to pacify them, to drag the strong youth away from his weaker opponent almost his victim now.
On the left were the Londoners under Nicholas de Segrave; in the center rode De Clare, with John Fitz-John and William de Monchensy, at the head of a large division which occupied that branch of the hill which descended a gentle, unbroken slope to the town.
So far everything was for the best, nay, it might be better still, for Segrave enraged and maddened at his losses, might succeed in getting Lambert imprisoned for stealing, and cheating, even at the cost of his own condemnation to a fine for gambling. The Endicotts had done their part well. The man especially, with his wide cuffs and his quick movements.
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