We all went on playin', and sometimes the room wos so quiet that you could 'ave 'eard a mouse walk across the flore. We wosn't surprised when Louis sed 'e'd won six 'undered; it wos part of the plot to let 'im win at fust. It's an old trick, yer know. From chance words we caught now and then, we knew the luck 'ad turned, and that it wos Maxwell now as wos winnin'. "That makes five 'undered. Eight fifty. Double the stake if you like. Thirteen 'undered. Another rubicon. Twenty-four 'undered. Luck wos agin me last night; looks as if it wos turning. Your deal. I've got six from the king! Good! And sixteen's twenty-two. And four queens, ninety-six." It wos Maxwell as spoke from time to time, and we knew that things wos goin' on the way they'd been planned to. Later on, from wot we could make out, Louis got tired of piquet. 'E cussed the cards, and cussed 'is luck, and cussed the company 'e wos in; and then proposed to play cribbage, the best two games out of three, and go double or quits. Maxwell, arter objectin' to sech a 'eavy stake, give in, and they got out the cribbage board. "It'll soon be over," whispered Morgan. I nodded, and he looked at my watch. I can't be sure o' the time, but I think it wos about eleven o'clock. "Fust game to me," sed Maxwell. They went on with the second, when all of a sudden Louis cried, "Stop!" so loud that we 'eld our breaths, wonderin' wot was comin'. "Wot's the matter now?" arst Maxwell, as gentle as a lamb. "Wot's the matter now!" screamed Louis. "You're an infernal scoundrel, that's wot's the matter. I've done with yer--and my mother shall be done with yer. I sor yer palm them two fives. And look 'ere--and 'ere! The cards are marked. That's 'ow you've been swindlin' me all along!" Morgan put one of 'is 'ands on mine, and the other on 'is lips, as much as to say, "Let 'em alone. We shall make it wuss if we put our spoke in." "You're out of yer senses," sed Maxwell, without raisin' 'is woice. "I've won the money fair." "You're a common cheat," cried Louis, "and you lie!" "Don't say that agin," sed Maxwell. "You lie--you lie--you lie!" screamed Louis. Morgan and me both started to our feet, but we wos afraid to turn round. I wos so scared that I wished myself well out of it, and from Morgan's face I guessed he wished the same. No one spoke for a little while, and then it wos Maxwell wot led the way. "Yer'll 'ave to apolergize to me for this," 'e sed; "I'll wait till yer cool." "Yer'll wait till yer in yer grave, then," sed Louis, "and I'll see yer in ---- fust." "Are yer goin' to pay wot yer owe me?" arst Maxwell. "Not one brass farden," Louis answered, "and I'll see if I can't git back wot yer've robbed me of already. I'll have my revenge on yer some'ow; I'll make a public egshibition of yer. You're a blackleg and a swindler, and I'll take these marked cards to prove wot I say." "Drop 'em," sed Maxwell, "or it'll be wuss for yer."