But I answered him with an oath, for I was in no humour to be corrected. Besides, wild and lawless as I had been for several years, I remembered that I was a Trevanion, and resented the family attorney daring to try to check me in public. "He won't listen to reason, Hendy," sneered old Peter Trevisa. "Ah, these young men! Hot blood, Hendy, hot blood; we can't stop a Trevanion." I had now lost all my money, but I would not stop. Old Trevisa standing at my elbow offering sage advice maddened me. I blurted out what at another time I would not have had mentioned on any consideration. "You have a stake in Trevanion, Trevisa," I cried angrily. "Nonsense, nonsense, Roger," whispered the old man, yet so loudly that all could hear. "You have," I cried, "you know you have. If I paid you all you lent my father, there would be little left. How much would the remnant be?" "We'll not speak of that," laughed the old man. "But we will," I said defiantly, for what with wine, and bad luck, and the irritation of the old man's presence I was beside myself. "What more would you lend on the estate?" He named a sum. "I'll play you for that sum, Prideaux," I cried. "No," replied Prideaux; "no, Trevanion, you've lost enough." "But I will!" I replied angrily. "No," said Prideaux, "I'm not a gamester of that order. I only play for such sums as have been laid on the table." "But you shall!" I cried with an oath; "you dare not as a gentleman refuse me. You've won five hundred guineas from me this very night. You must give me a chance of winning it back." "Luck is against you, Trevanion," replied Prideaux. "It shall never be said of me that I won a man's homestead from him. I refuse to play." "Prideaux has won a maid from you!" laughed old Trevisa with a drunken hiccup. "Be careful or he'll take Trevanion, too." "I'll never play for the land," cried Prideaux again. "But you shall," I protested. "If you refuse you are no gentleman, and you will act like a coward to boot." "Very well," replied Prideaux coolly, "it shall be as you say." We arranged our terms and commenced playing again. Half an hour later I had lost the sum which old Peter Trevisa said he could further advance on Trevanion. I do not think I revealed my sensations when I realized that I had lost my all, but a cold feeling came into my heart nevertheless. "Trevanion," said Prideaux, "we'll not regard the last half-hour's play as anything. It was only fun." "That will not do," I replied. "We have played, and I have lost; that is all." "But I shall not take----" "You will," I cried. "You have played fairly, and it is yours. I will see to it at once that the amount shall be handed to you." "I will not take it," cried Prideaux. "I absolutely refuse." I know I was mad; my blood felt like streams of molten fire in my veins, but I was outwardly cool. The excitement I had previously shown was gone. Perhaps despair helped me to appear calm.