"Bite, Peter, they are lentils!" cried Bräsig to Habermann. "Hold!" cried Kurz, "no telling!" "God forbid!" said Habermann, and played also a low club. "A fine singer is our sexton," said the rector, playing the nine. "A cross and strife, a wicked wife, the Lord hath sent upon me," said Bräsig, and took the trick with the queen. "Well," said Kurz, "that was a heavy cross, to be sure. What have you next?" "Pay attention, Karl, now we begin our journey," said Bräsig. "Herr," to Kurz, "I was whist. Here! Pikas was a pointer," and led the pik-as (ace of spades), and followed with the king,--"Long live the king!" and then the queen,--"Respect for the ladies!" "Good heavens!" cried Kurz, laying down his cards, and looking at the rector, "what a hand! He can't have any more spades." "Dear brother-in-law," said the rector, "I come yet." "But too late," said Kurz, taking up his cards, with a deep sigh, as if the rector had treated him unworthily, but he would bear it like a christian. "Karl," said Bräsig, "how much have we in all? "Four tricks," said Habermann. "Come," said Kurz, "that is not fair, no telling!" "Is it telling," said Bräsig, "when I merely ask a question? Now pay attention, Karl, I shall take one more, and if you take one, then we are out." "I shall get mine," said Kurz. "And I shall get mine, too," said the rector. After a couple of rounds, Kurz laid his hand over his tricks: "So, I have mine." Diamonds were on the table, the rector ventured a cut with the queen, Bräsig followed with the king, and the poor rector had lost his trick: "How that could happen, I cannot comprehend!" "It wasn't a whist game!" cried Kurz. "Karl," said Bräsig, "if you had been careful, they would have lost another trick." "You must blame yourself for that, you didn't play after me in hearts." "Karl, did I have any? I had nothing but the queen." "No, brother-in-law," cried Kurz, meantime, "you threw away the game, you had the king of clubs, and you played the nine. It lost the game." "What would you have?" said Bräsig, with great contempt. "Are you a dunce? Here I sit with a handful of spades, and a couple of queens besides; what would you have?" "Herr, do you think, when I have said Boston, I am afraid of your trumpery queens?" "Come, come!" cried Habermann, dealing the cards, "let it go, this old after-play is disagreeable."