"
But that insatiate young man was not to be beaten, after all. When they
were separating in the street below he drew Lionel aside.
"Look here, old man, why should we be deprived of our final little
flutter? I want to give you a chance of getting back the whole thing."
"Not at all, my good fellow," Lionel said, with a smile. "Why don't you
keep the money and rest content? Do you think I grudge it to you?"
"Come--an absolutely last double or quits," said the other, and he
pulled out a coin from his pocket and put it between his two palms.
"Heads or tails?--and then go home happy!"
"Well, since you challenge me, I'll go this once more, and this once
more only. I call a tail."
The upper hand was removed: in the dull lamp-light the dusky gold coin
was examined.
"It's a head," said Lionel, "so that's all right, and it's you who are
to go home happy. I'll settle up with you to-morrow evening. Do you want
this hansom?--I don't: I think I'd rather walk. Good-night, Johnny."
It was a long price to pay for a few hours of distraction and
forgetfulness; still, he had had these; and the loss of the money, _per
se_, did not affect him much.
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