I'm winning like anything. Look
here!" and I pointed to my pockets, which were almost bursting.
"Yes," said he, "I see how it is: you've been winning on twos to one,
and I've been losing on threes."
"Black's the winning colour to-day, Charley--_noir_; you should have
backed _noir_. Besides, long odds are much too risky. I am quite
content with two to one."
Here there was a general break-up of the party, because Charley being
out of it as well as several others, it left only one, and, of course,
the keeper of the booth was not so foolish, however honourable, to pay
me two half-crowns and win only one. So there it ended.
That night I made this game a study, and the sensible conclusion came
to me that if you would take advantage of the table you should play
for the lower stakes, because you have a better chance of winning than
those who play high. At least, that was the result of my policy; for
while those who played high were ruined, my pockets were filled, and,
by that cautious mode of playing, I was so lucky that, had there been
enough at threes to one, I could have kept on making money as long as
they had any to lose.
I changed my half-crowns with the booth-keeper for gold, and reached
my chambers safely with the spoil. And how pleasant it was to count
it!
It has occurred to me since that the keeper of the booth had carefully
noted my proceedings (such was my innocence), and that he made his
calculations for a future occasion.
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