"Give me the money," returned the old man; "I must have it. There—there—there’s my dear Nell. I’ll right thee one day, child. I’ll right thee, never fear!" She took from her pocket a little purse. The old man caught it from her hand and hastily made his way to the other side of the screen, Nell keeping close behind him. The landlord had placed a light upon the table and was drawing the curtain of the window. The speakers whom they had heard were two men, who had a pack of cards and some silver money between them. The man with the rough voice was a big fellow of middle age, with large black whiskers, broad cheeks, a coarse, wide mouth, and bull neck. The other man, whom his companion had called Isaac, was of a more slender figure—stooping, and high in the shoulders—with a very evil face. "Now, old gentleman," said Isaac, looking round, "do you know either of us? This side of the screen is private, sir." The old man replied by shaking the little purse in his eager hand, and then throwing it down upon the table, and gathering up the cards as a miser would clutch at gold. "Oh! That, indeed," said Isaac; "if that’s what the gentleman meant, I beg the gentleman’s pardon. Is this the gentleman’s purse? A very pretty little purse. Rather a light purse," added Isaac, throwing it into the air and catching it again, "but enough to amuse a gentleman for half an hour or so." The child, in a perfect agony, drew her grandfather aside, and begged him, even then, to come away. "Come, and we may be so happy," said the child. "We will be happy," replied the old man. "Let me go, Nell. I shall but win back my own; and it’s all for thee, my darling." "God help us!" cried the child. "Oh, what hard fortune brought us here?" "Hush!" said the old man, laying his hand upon her mouth. "We must not blame fortune, or she shuns us; I have found that out." As he spoke he drew a chair to the table; and the other three closing round it at the same time, the game began. The child sat by and watched it with a troubled mind. Losses and gains were to her alike. She only knew that the cards were evil things, and that now her quiet, happy life was at an end. The storm had raged for full three hours, and now began to lull; but still the game went on, and still the poor child was forgotten. The players sat for a long time at their game, and when it was over Isaac was the only winner, and Nell’s little purse was quite empty. "Do you know what the time is?" said Mr. Groves, who was smoking with his friends. "Past twelve o’clock."—"And a rainy night," added the stout man. "’The Valiant Soldier,’ by James Groves. Good beds. Cheap entertainment for man and beast," said Mr. Groves, quoting from his sign-board. "Half-past twelve o’clock." "It’s very late," said the uneasy child. "I wish we had gone before. What will they think of us? It will be two o’clock by the time we get back. What would it cost, sir, if we stopped here?"