Page:Paul Clifford Vol 2.djvu/105

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PAUL CLIFFORD.
97

walk three times up and down that great room without being a jot the better for it?"

"Ah, but you know not how many secret conquests you may have made: you cannot win a prize by looking upon it."

"Humph!" grunted Ned, applying himself discontentedly to the young existence of his pipe.

"As for the Captain's partner," renewed Tomlinson, who maliciously delighted in exciting the jealousy of the handsome "tax-collector," for that was the epithet by which Augustus thought proper to entitle himself and companions—"I will turn Tory if she be not already half in love with him; and did you hear the old gentleman who cut into our rubber say what a fine fortune she had? Faith, Ned, it is lucky for us two, that we all agreed to go shares in our marriage speculations; I fancy the worthy Captain will think it a bad bargain for himself."

"I am not so sure of that, Mr. Tomlinson," said Long Ned, sourly eyeing his comrade.