"You may spare your gratitude any great sense of obligation, my lord,"
said the Templar. "No doubt I am willing to be of use to any gentleman
that has cause to sing _Fortune my foe_, and particularly proud to
serve your lordship's turn; but I have also an old grudge, to speak
Heaven's truth, at your opposite, Lord Dalgarno."
"May I ask on what account, Master Lowestoffe?" said Lord Glenvarloch.
"O, my lord," replied the Templar, "it was for a hap that chanced
after you left the ordinary, one evening about three weeks since--at
least I think you were not by, as your lordship always left us before
deep play began--I mean no offence, but such was your lordship's
custom--when there were words between Lord Dalgarno and me concerning
a certain game at gleek, and a certain mournival of aces held by his
lordship, which went for eight--tib, which went for fifteen--twenty-
three in all. Now I held king and queen, being three--a natural
towser, making fifteen--and tiddy, nineteen. We vied the ruff, and
revied, as your lordship may suppose, till the stake was equal to half
my yearly exhibition, fifty as fair yellow canary birds as e'er
chirped in the bottom of a green silk purse. Well, my lord, I gained
the cards, and lo you! it pleases his lordship to say that we played
without tiddy; and as the rest stood by and backed him, and especially
the sharking Frenchman, why, I was obliged to lose more than I shall
gain all the season.
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