Vice's lock-up was, though similar in its general appearance, yet of a much inferior description to that of Grab. It was smaller and meaner. They reached it a little after eight o'clock. "Are you for the parlor, or the common room?" inquired Vice, as soon as they had entered the house. "Which you please," replied Aubrey, quickly and gloomily. "P'r'aps you 'd better show the gemman up-stairs," said the follower, hesitatingly, to his master. "You pay extra up-stairs," quoth Vice; "which shall it be?" "I have no money, sir, to spare--I know the extortionating practices which "---- "Oh, come along then!" replied Vice, insolently; and in a minute or two Mr. Aubrey found himself in a tolerably large, but low room, at the back of the house, lit by three or four candles. There were some ten or twelve persons in it, who were smoking, drinking, reading the newspapers, playing at cards, dice, pitchfarthing, and so forth. All seemed in good spirits, and suspended for a moment their various occupations to scrutinize the newcomer--on whom the door was in a twinkling closed and locked. "Now, sir, just in time to cut in," said a thin pale man--his breath redolent of the stench of gin--stepping briskly up to him from a table at which he and two others had just begun to play a rubber. "Now, sir," he continued in a confident tone, running the edges of the cards rapidly through his fingers with the air of an adept, and then proffering the pack to Mr. Aubrey. "I do not play," replied Aubrey, in a low tone. "Better take a card--drive dull care away; you'll be devilish dull here without play of some sort!" "I do not play, sir--I certainly shall not," repeated Mr. Aubrey, somewhat peremptorily. "Only half-crown points--can't hurt you," he continued flippantly; till Mr. Aubrey walked from him with an air of disgust towards another part of the room. "You're a liar!" said one of two men playing at drafts to the other, a dispute having arisen about the game, as Mr. Aubrey passed them. "You're a cheat!" was the answer; on which the man so addressed suddenly and violently flung a half-empty tumbler of brandy and water at the other; it took effect on the forehead of his companion, who fell stunned from his chair, his forehead, which had been cut open, bleeding profusely. On this there was a general rush towards the spot. In the midst of this sickening scene the door was opened by Vice. "Hollo--what's the matter?" said he, locking the door after him, and coming up to the group round the fallen and miserable man who had been struck. "Who did it?" cried he, fiercely, on catching sight of the prostrate man. "I did," answered the perpetrator of the outrage, "he called me a cheat." "_You did!_" quoth Vice, suddenly grasping him by the collar, as with the hand of a giant, and forcing him, despite his struggling, down to the floor, when he put one knee on his breast, and then shook him till he began to get black in the face.