We
were so successful, that in a short time I was half-a-crown gainer;
when the gentleman whom we had met in the street observing he had
no luck to-day, proposed to leave off, or change partners. By this
time I was inflamed with my good fortune and the expectation of
improving it, as I perceived the two strangers played but indifferently;
therefore I voted for giving him his revenge: and cutting again,
Strap and I, to our mutual satisfaction, happened to be partners.
My good fortune attended me still, and in less than an hour we had
got thirty shillings of their money, for as they lost they grew
the keener, and doubled stakes every time. At last the inconstant
goddess began to veer about, and we were very soon stripped of all
our gains, and about forty shillings of our own money. This loss
mortified me extremely, and had a visible effect on the muscles of
Strap's face, which lengthened apace; but our antagonists perceiving
our condition, kindly permitted us to retrieve our loss, and
console ourselves with a new acquisition. Then my companion wisely
suggested. it was time to be gone; upon which the person who bad
joined us in the house began to curse the cards, and muttered that
we were indebted to fortune only for what we had got, no part of
our success being owing to our good play.
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