Then there was the M.G. of Miles Grendall, which was a species of paper peculiarly plentiful and very unattractive on these commercial occasions. Paul Montague hitherto had never given an I.O.U. at the Beargarden,--nor of late had our friend Sir Felix. On the present occasion Montague won, though not heavily. Sir Felix lost continually, and was almost the only loser. But Mr Fisker won nearly all that was lost. He was to start for Liverpool by train at 8.30 a.m., and at 6 a.m., he counted up his bits of paper and found himself the winner of about £600. 'I think that most of them came from you, Sir Felix,' he said,--handing the bundle across the table.
'I dare say they did, but they are all good against these other fellows.' Then Fisker, with most perfect good humour, extracted one from the mass which indicated Dolly Longestaffe's indebtedness to the amount of £50. 'That's Longestaffe,' said Felix, 'and I'll change that of course.' Then out of his pocket-book he extracted other minute documents bearing that M.G. which was so little esteemed among them,-- and so made up the sum. 'You seem to have £150 from Grasslough, £145 from Nidderdale, and £322 10s from Grendall,' said the baronet. Then Sir Felix got up as though he had paid his score. Fisker, with smiling good humour, arranged the little bits of paper before him and looked round upon the company.
'This won't do, you know,' said Nidderdale. 'Mr Fisker must have his money before he leaves. You've got it, Carbury.'
'Of course he has,' said Grasslough.
'As it happens, I have not,' said Sir Felix,--'but what if I had?'
'Mr Fisker starts for New York immediately,' said Lord Nidderdale. 'I suppose we can muster £600 among us. Ring the bell for Vossner. I think Carbury ought to pay the money as he lost it, and we didn't expect to have our I.O.U.'s brought up in this way.'
'Lord Nidderdale,' said Sir Felix, 'I have already said that I have not got the money about me. Why should I have it more than you, especially as I knew I had I.O.U.'s more than sufficient to meet anything I could lose when I sat down?'
'Mr Fisker must have his money at any rate,' said Lord Nidderdale, ringing the bell again.
'It doesn't matter one straw, my lord,' said the American. 'Let it be sent to me to Frisco, in a bill, my lord.' And so he got up to take his hat, greatly to the delight of Miles Grendall.