My uncle shook his head. " Many a time have
I asked myself that question, and it comes more
home to me to-night than ever." All the jaunti-
ness had gone out of his manner, and he had
turned suddenly into a sad and serious man.
"Was it certain that he did it, Charles?"
asked my mother.
My uncle shrugged his shoulders. " I wish I



Digitized by



Google



BUCK TREGELLIS. 89

could think it were not so. I have thought some-
times that it was this very pride, turning sudden-
ly to madness, which drove him to it. You have
heard how he returned the money which we had
lost?"

'* Nay, I have heard nothing of it," ray father
answered.
" It is a very old story now, though we have
not yet found an end to it. We had played for
two days, the four of us, Lord Avon, his brother
Captain Barrington, Sir Lothian Hume, and my-
self. Of the captain I knew little, save that he
was not of the best repute, and was deep in the
hands of the Jews. Sir Lothian has made an evil
name for himself since — 'tis the same Sir Lothian
Who shot Lord Carton in the affair at Chalk farm
—but in those days there was nothing, against
hira. The oldest of us was but twenty-four, and
we gamed on, as I say, until the captain had
cleared the board. We were all hit, but our host
far the hardest.
