At nine o'clock we all met together in that room, and if any one 'ad seed our faces 'e'd 'ave guessed there wos serious business on 'and. It comes over me now to say as there wos a green carpet on the flore, and I dare say that's the reason why I sor the wision of Louis yesterday on the billiard table, and why it comes so orfen when I'm crossin' a green field. I never noticed the color o' the carpet afore that night. We settled it atween us--that is, me and Maxwell and Morgan did--that when the night's work wos over we'd clear out o' Liverpool immediate, and make tracks separately for London, where we wos to meet at Maxwell's rooms. And wot a night it wos! The snow wos comin' down enough to blind yer, and it wos as much as a man could do to stand agin the wind. "All the better for the job we've got to do," sed Maxwell; "nobody'll notice us goin' in or out." Morgan and me set down at one table, and Louis and Maxwell at another. Our chairs wos placed so as we could see the others without turnin' round. We didn't pay much attention to the game we wos playin', though we pretended to be in earnest over it. But we couldn't keep our eyes off the other two. We wosn't as careful as we might 'ave been, for all of a sudden the man as wos bein' rooked cried savagely: "Wot are you fellers watchin' me for?" "We ain't watchin' yer," growled Morgan. "You are, and yer know you are," sed Louis. "Keep your eyes off me, or I'll wash my 'ands of the 'ole crew." "'Ow am I to take that, Louis?" arst Maxwell, speakin' very quiet. When 'e spoke like that, with the look on 'is face 'e 'ad then, 'e wos a dangerous man to tackle. "Take it as yer please," Louis answered. "You and me 'ave knowed each other a goodish long time now, and I've been thinkin' it ain't been much in my pocket. From fust to last it's been a case o' shell out, shell out." "Oh, that's it, is it?" sed Maxwell, getting white about the gills. "Yes, that's it," sed Louis. "Let's see. Wot am I winnin'?" He counted up. "Six 'undered. Shall we leave off?" "It ain't wot we arranged," sed Maxwell, pullin' in 'is 'orns. "I say, you fellers--Louis is right. We don't want none o' your interference, so keep yerselves to yerselves." "And I'll 'ave no lookin' over our 'ands," said Louis. "Some people don't mind it. I do. Stick to yer own table, and show us yer backs." "Wot are yer makin' a row about?" arst Morgan. "We don't want ter 'ave nothink to do with yer." Upon that we turned our chairs so as we couldn't ketch sight of the other table, and it wos only when Louis and Maxwell spoke out that we could 'ear what wos goin' on. "I sha'n't be sorry when it's over," whispered Morgan to me. "More shall I," sed I. If Louis'd carried out 'is threat of washin' his 'ands of us then and there, it'd been better for 'im. But 'e couldn't guess wot wos going to 'appen no more nor we could.