"We ought to send this to the Field. It ought to have a niche among curious games," said Mr. Armitage.
Mr. Burchell shuffled, Mr. Armitage cut, and I dealt the hand. Burchell went three, Armitage four, and I went Nap! I had ace, king, queen, and four of clubs, and king of diamonds. Not a bad Nap hand when three are playing.
"What, Nap again!" cried Burchell. "Great Scott!"
"Never mind," said Mr. Armitage, "I'm prepared for anything."
I was about to lead the ace of clubs when the stranger, who was seated at the other end of the carriage, left his end and advanced towards ours.
"Excuse me, gentlemen!"—he addressed himself to my antagonists—"you are being robbed. This gentleman is too clever a player for you. I should say that he was a professional swindler!"
"What the dickens do you mean?" asked Mr. Armitage. "And who are you?"
"I'm an old traveller. I've seen this kind of thing before. But I've never seen quite such beautiful simplicity as yours. I do believe you'd let him get Napoleon in continuous succession, right from here to Brighton, and still think it all serene—just a little accident worth sending to the Field."
There was silence. Armitage and Burchell both looked at me. I felt that suspicion was in their glances. As for myself, I was so startled by the enormity of the charge that I momentarily was stricken dumb. I could not realise that the fellow was actually accusing me of theft.
