A few hours afterwards, I waited on the commissioner to report the state of affairs. He was delighted with the fortunate _début_ I had made, but still strictly enjoined patience and caution. It would have been easy, as I was in possession of the password, to have surprised the confederacy in the act of gaming that very evening; but this would only have accomplished a part of the object aimed at. Several of the fraternity--Sandford amongst the number--were suspected of uttering forged foreign bank-notes, and it was essential to watch narrowly for legal evidence to insure their conviction. It was also desirable to restore, if possible, the property and securities of which Mr. Merton had been pillaged. Nothing of especial importance occurred for seven or eight days. Gaming went on as usual every evening, and Mr. Merton became of course more and more involved: even his sister's jewels--which he had surreptitiously obtained, to such a depth of degredation will this frightful vice plunge men otherwise honorable--had been staked and lost; and he was, by the advice of Sandford, about to conclude a heavy mortgage on his estate, in order not only to clear off his enormous 'debts of honor,' but to acquire fresh means of 'winning back'--that _ignus-fatuus_ of all gamblers--his tremendous losses! A new preliminary 'dodge' was, I observed, now brought into action. Mr. Merton esteemed himself a knowing hand at _ecarté_: it was introduced; and he was permitted to win every game he played, much to the apparent annoyance and discomfiture of the losers. As this was precisely the snare into which I had myself fallen, I of course the more readily detected it, and felt quite satisfied that a _grand coup_ was meditated. In the meantime I had not been idle. Sandford was _confidentially_ informed that I was only waiting in London to receive between four and five thousand pounds--part of Uncle Passgrove's legacy--and then intended to immediately hasten back to canny Yorkshire. To have seen the villain's eyes as I incidentally, as it were, announced my errand and intention! They fairly flashed with infernal glee! Ah, Sandford, Sandford! you were, with all your cunning, but a sand-blind idiot to believe the man you had wronged and ruined could so easily forget the debt he owed you!