CHAPTER XX
FIVE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING
It was the custom with some of the high flyers, or the bucks, as theywere called, when the card room was closed, to go off together to atavern, there to finish the evening drinking, singing, gambling, andrioting the whole night through and long after daylight. Truly thetown of Lynn witnessed more profligacy and wickedness during thissummer than all its long and ancient history had contained or couldrelate.
The assembly was held twice a week--on Tuesday and on Friday. It wason Tuesday night that a certain statement was made in a drunkenconversation which might have awakened suspicion of some dark designhad it been recorded. A small company of the said high flyers, amongwhom were Colonel Lanyon and the young man named Tom Rising, marchedoff to the tavern most frequented by them, after the closing of therooms, and called for punch, cards, and candles. Then they sat down toplay, with the ungodly and profane discourse which they affected. Theyplayed and drank, the young men drinking fast and hard, the colonel,after his custom, keeping his head cool.
The night in May is short; the daylight presently began to showthrough the red curtains of the tavern window; then the sun rose; theplayers went on, regardless of the dawn and of the sun. One of thempulled back the curtains and blew out the candles. But they went onnoisily. One of them fell off his chair, and lay like a log; the restdrew close, and continued to drink and to play. Among them no oneplayed higher or more recklessly than Tom Rising. It was a game inwhich one holds the bank and takes the bets of the players. ColonelLanyon held the bank, and took Tom's bets, which were high, as readilyas those of the others which were low.
At five in the morning he laid down the cards.
"Gentlemen," he said, "we have played enough, and taken more thanenough, I fear. Let us stop the game at this point."
"You want to stop," said Tom Rising, whose face was flushed and hisspeech thick, "because you've been winning. I want my revenge--I willhave my revenge."
"Sir," said the colonel, "any man who says that I refuse revengeattacks my honour. No, sir. To-morrow, that is to say, this evening,or any time you please except the present, you shall have yourrevenge, and as much as you please. I appeal to the company.Gentlemen, it is now five o'clock, and outside broad daylight. Themarket bells have already begun. Are we drunk or sober?"
"Drunk, colonel, drunk," said the man on the floor.
"If we are drunk we are no longer in a condition fit for play. Let ustherefore adjourn until the evening. Is this fair, gentlemen, or is itnot? I will go on if you please."
"It is quite fair, colonel," one of them replied. "I believe you havelost, and you might insist on going on."
"Then, let us look to the counters." They played with counters eachrepresenting a guinea or two or five, as had been agreed upon at theoutset. So every man fell to counting and exchanging until all haddone except Tom Rising, who sat apparently stupid with drink. Thenthey began to pay each other on the differences.
"Twenty-five guineas, colonel."
The colonel passed over the money with cheerfulness.
"Forty-three guineas, colonel."
He paid this sum--and so on with the rest. He had lost, it appeared,to every one of the players except Tom Rising, whose reckoning was notmade up. They were all paid immediately and cheerfully. Now thegentlemen of Norfolk are as honourable in their sport as any in thekingdom, but they seldom lose without a curse or two. Thischeerfulness, therefore, under ill fortune surprised them.
The colonel turned to Tom, whose eyes were closing. "Mr. Rising, wewill settle, if you please, after we have slept off the punch."
Tom grunted and tried to speak. He was at that point of drunkennesswhen he could understand what was said, but spoke with difficulty. Itis one of the many transient stages of intoxication.
"Then, gentlemen," said the colonel, "we can meet again whenever youplease. I only hope that you are satisfied with me for stopping theplay at this point."
"We are, colonel. We are quite satisfied." So they pushed back theirchairs and rose somewhat unsteadily. But they had all won, andtherefore had reason to be satisfied.
"I'm not--not satisfied." Tom Rising managed to get out these wordsand tried to, but without success, to sit square and upright.
"Well, sir," said the colonel, "you shall have your revengeto-morrow."
"I want it now--I'll have it now. Bring another bowl." His headdropped again.
"The gentleman," said the colonel, "is not in a condition to play. Itwould be cruel to play with him in this state."
"Come, Tom," one of them shook him by the arm, "wake up and bereasonable."
"I've lost again, and I want revenge."
"To-morrow, Tom, the colonel will give you as much revenge as youplease."
Tom made no reply. He seemed asleep.
"He shall have as much revenge as he pleases. Meantime, gentlemen, wehave been pleasant together, so far. But this young gentleman playshigh--very high. I am ready to meet his wishes; but, gentlemen--far beit from me to hint that he is not a gentleman of large estate--but thefact is that he has lost pretty heavily and wants to go oncontinually."
"Yesterday," Tom spoke with closed eyes, "it was eight hundred. To-dayit's--how much to-day?"
They looked at each other. "Gentlemen," said the colonel, "you haveheard what he says. I hope you will believe me when I assure you thatthe high play was forced upon me."
They knew Tom to be the owner of a pretty estate of about L1,200 ayear, and they knew him to be a sportsman, eager and reckless. Eighthundred pounds is a large sum to raise upon an estate of L1,200, evenif there were no other demands upon it.
"Say, rather, had a good estate," said another.
"I need not point out, gentlemen," the colonel observed, severely,"the extreme injustice of admitting to our circle those who venture toplay beyond their means. Play demands, above all things, jealousy inadmittance. If men of honour meet for a few hours over the cards, theleast they can demand is that, since they have to pay at sight, orwithin reasonable time, no one shall be admitted who is not able topay within reasonable time, whatever losses he may make. You and I,gentlemen," he continued, "have not forced this high play upon ourfriend here."
"No. Tom would always fly higher than his neighbours."
"I think, colonel," said one of them gravely, "that this matterconcerns the honour of the place and the county. You come among us aman of honour; you play and pay honourably. We admit Tom Rising intoour company. He must raise the money. But you will grant him time.Eight hundred pounds and more----"
"Perhaps a thousand," said the colonel.
"Cannot be raised in a moment. We are not in London; there are nomoney lenders with us; and I know not how much has been already raisedupon the estate. But, colonel, rest assured that the money shall beduly paid. Perhaps it will be well not to admit poor Tom to our tablein future, though it will be a hard matter to deny him."
Then Tom himself lifted his head.
"I can hear what you say, but I am too drunk to talk. Colonel, it'sall right. Wait a day or two." He struggled again to sit upright. Oneof his friends loosened his cravat, another took off his wig andrubbed his head with a wet cloth. "Why," he said, "I am sober again.Let's have another bowl and another game."
"No, no," his friends cried out together. "Enough, Tom; get up and goto bed."
"Colonel Lanyon," he said, "and friends all--gentlemen of thishonourable company"--he ran his words together as men in liquoruse--but they understood him perfectly. "I will play as high as Ilike; and as deep as I like; and as long as I like. I will play till Ihave stripped every man among you to the very bones. Why do I saythis? Because, gentlemen, after Friday night I shall be the richestman in the county. D'ye hear? The richest man in the county. You don'tknow how? Very well. Do you think I am going to tell you? Ho! ho! whenyou hear the news, you'll say, 'twas only Tom--only Tom Rising--hadthe courage to venture and to win."
"He means the hazard table," said the colonel.
"No;
not the hazard table," Tom went on. "Oh! I know the table and thewoman who keeps the bank, and pretends to weep when you lose. I knowabout her. I've heard talk about her. What is it? Don't remember. Tellyou to-morrow."
"He should stop talking," said the colonel, "we must not listen to hiswanderings."
"Richest man in the county," he repeated. "Colonel, I like yourcompany. You lay down your money like a man. In a week, colonel, I'llhave it all; there shan't be a guinea left among you all. Richest manin county--make--guineas--fly." His head sunk down again. He was oncemore speechless.
His friends looked from one to the other. What did Tom Rising mean?
"Gentlemen," said the colonel, "he has been drinking for many days. Hehas some kind of a fit upon him. After a sleep he will be better. Justnow he dreams of riches. I have known men in such a condition to seeanimals, and think that they are hunted by rats and clawed by devils."
Again Tom lifted his head and babbled confusedly.
"The richest man--the richest man in the whole county. After Fridaynight--not to-night--after Friday night. I have found out a short wayto fortune. The richest man in the county."
So they left him sleeping in his chair, with his head on the tableamong the glasses and the spilt punch. It was not long, however,before they discovered what his words had meant. It was not the ravingof a drunken man, but the betrayal in his cups--unfortunately only apartial revelation of the abominable wickedness by which he proposedto acquire sudden wealth. Said I not that Tom Rising was never one tobe balked or denied when he had set his heart upon a thing; nor was heto be restrained by any consideration of law, human or divine; or ofconsequences in this world or the next? You shall now hear what hedesigned and what he called the shortest way, and how he was going tobecome the richest man in the county.
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