Cards With A "Colonel."

Evening Post, Volume XLVII, Issue 88, 14 April 1894, Page 1 (Supplement)

Cards With A " Colonel."

A good old adage continually repeated to ma when a boy vra«, " Never play cards with utrangers." I fancy that those who were persistent in this couuue.l had themselves suffered from not remembering the saying at the right time. At all events, they took pains that I should not fall a victim to infcplared confidence. But although 1 have never forgotten their advice for long, and to a certain degree have pro« /Itod by it, I have xevural times in my life been taken in by the wolf, thinking that I was keeping company with the lamb. When tho first of these little incidents occurred f could plead the excuse of youth, it is truß. It happened in this way— l was about twenty, and was stopping at Biarritz. That French watering-place had not grown into the large English colony which it lias since become, but still there were a good many of our conutrymen and women there in the wiuter, principally invalids or persons of small means. Among the residents was an Englishman, who culled hinwlf "Colonel BiillHnche." He bud taken a tumli villa, or rather cottage, whirh I leaint to visit very soon, the attraction being his daughter Ruth. Look-iu-f back, I have littlo doubt that Miss Bullfiuche rnu-t have been twenty-six or twonty-eight years of age, but by the aid of a naturally willowy tall figure, judicious dressing, and a few artistic touches, I niould have been ready, in those day«, to h.tve fought any one who hinted that she was more than nineteen or twenty. There was a Mrs. Bullfiuche, too, a most inoffenHivo old lady, ' of whom nobody thought twice, but whoj at the same time, was invaluable to her family. It was her health which necessitated her living in tho South ; it was also her health which prevented them from mixing more in the society of the place— which they had little chance of doing. She served also as a convenient chaperon for her daughter. Mrs. Bullfinche was well enough to go out to some little frequented seat, but too weak to go further, leaving us younger people to walk away by ourselves along the lonely sands, when the sea was out, or to clamber along the cliffs when it was in. It was seldom we met anyone, except when with her, going or returning. Although Biarritz has a warm and pleasant climate, and one can go about in winter much ns in summer in the daytime, the evenings are long— at least, Colonel Bullfinche declared that he thought (ham so. He did not belong to the English olub, not wishing, as be said, to expose himself to the temptation of stopping out la!e, the health of his wife necessitating early hours and much attention ; still, he would deem it a great favour of a friend to drop in and cheer them up a little. I was only too eager to take advantage of this hint, and soon spent a couple of hours almost every evening at the cottage. At first we hud music — that is, Miss Bullfinche played mill sang, for none of tho rust of us were gifted that way — but before the wcok was out the Colonel expressed his opinion that 1 must find it very flow, and proposed — for my sake — that we should play a few games of ecarte to pass awiiy the time, "liuth oan play to us all the snme," he said; "only you must not lot her distract your attention ; although you ( ire pretty sure to beat me, lam nothing of a player." Now, I fancied myMolf a littlo at ecarte, so that after I hud won tho first threp sittings I offered, iv the opeuuertn of my heart, to give the Colonel points, and after some little demur on his part, it was agreed that I should not count the king when I held it. We also settled t.ie poiuts at nearly double what they had boen, the Colonel declaring that no one could give him those odds ; and ho was right, as he generally won two or three napoleon* ft night. But what did I care for a tew paltry "naps?" It was ridiculously cheap iv exchange for the chance of being in the same room and exchanging glani'oa with Ruth, and having a private leave-taking at tho cottage door when I went away. In fact, I felt happier, I believe, for being able to make some small retnru for such unutterable bliss. Time went on, and I had to get back to England, or rather Ireland, in a few days. The stakes at ecarte had been doubled and doubled "again, so that now we played piutty high, but the luck ran more evenly thau at first, and although at the end of the week I was a loser, I won on many nights. But a couplo of evenings before my departure, I had a regular bad time of it ; the Colonel could not do wrong that evening, and whenever the game hung in the balunoß at four tricks all, he invariably turned up the king, if it was his deal, and won. When my time was up, I had stayod, by his invitation, a quartor of an hour longer than usual, just to see if I could win a bit book — which of course I did not. I rose up a loser of a hundred and fifty odd pounds. "lam awfully sorry, Kider," said the Colonel; "but you will win it back tomorrow night. Come a little earlier, so we shall have mor« time." He did his best to send me baok forgetful of losses also, by going upstairs to see bto wife, who generally, if in the ror.jp at all, faded silently Hway after I had been thero half au hour, so Ruth and I had an extra five minutes for lea vo- taking at the door that ?>ight. The next morning I met Miss Bullfinche 'by appointment, and we hiul a. long wulk by ournelves, the mother's health being bad that -day. I bad just taken leave of her an the corner of the luce in which (heir cottage stood, when I was suddenly, uccosted by a familiar voice, c lying — "Hullo! Eider, my boy, what brings you to these parts, and who is the angel disappearing rouud the corner?" It wu SUcg-sby who spoke, I knew before I turned round, bo I answered rather shortly, after shaking hands, that I was all well, and that the angel was a Miss Bullfinche, whose people I knew. "What, is her father called 'Colonel' Bullfinnhe f" This with an accent on the word Colonel. '• Yes. Do you know them P" "A little. I have met them once or twice. A"d now tell me what you have been doing." I had littla to tell him except about my acquaintance with the Bullfinches, and took euro only to inform him about the 4carle part of that. "Lust a hundred and fifty last night! That's too muoh — a deal too much ! I romt see you have your revenge, as I taught you how to play the game. It is only right I should. You had better call for me at the ' Anglotorre'— mind you do. I particularly wont to be with you ; will you promise ?" "Certainly, if you like,"*aald I, in.wardly curaing him. Slingsby was a oharaoter. I made his acquaintance first at sohool, where he came as second master. Be was much liked by all of us, but me he particularly patronised, borrowing a pound ot so when I happened to have it, aud in return Titling with me over to tho neighbouring town — I possessed » pony— and there teaching me the rudiments of billiards. Later on he turned up at Pau when I was stopping there, supposed to be learning French at the age of mxteen. This time ho initiated me into the art of race-riding, tho outcome of which was that I rode iay first winner in a hurdle race on a burse that ho had bought or was part owner of, and put so much money in his pooket that he blossomod out into auite a now man. As a recompense, he taught me ecarte, and as he played it— as he did all games of skill— marvellously veil, I learnt to play, for an Englishman, » Tory good game. I met him a couple of years later i» Dublin, where he was kind enough to bomw a tenner off me, but to do him justice, and to my own surprise, he aent roe * post-ofK.ee order f#r the amount some three months later. And bow ho turned np again hera Much against the gr.iiri I called at his hotel, und wo wont together to the cottage. . Before I could speak, Slingsby shook hands with Bullfinche, and said, "1 have taken tfao liberty of an old acquaintance to accompany my friend Rider here to-night.;, firstly, in order to ,b»vo the pleasure of again meeting Mrs. »nd Mfss Bullfinche, nnd also to sec him to have bis repdnge. He has told me about bis bad hick yesterday. I think he will beat you to night, so I mean to back him just for a napoleon or jh>, but I am sure he will think himself .satisfied if he wins baok a hundred of the earn lost." - I thought ih» Col° ne l looked terribly blaok as Slingsby spoke, but why I could »ot guess ; intact, hia receptjon of Slingsby was hardly civil, but be said, "Of course, Eider is welcome to hi 3 revenge, and I tope he will win. Jt was quite an exception to the rule last night. There has been nothing much between us so far. I noticed to my disappointment that Buth never offered to play, but left the retool with her mother Meanwhile we began our game, Slingsby standing by my side and occasionally ndi'ising me, ac he had a right to do at ecarte, and backing roe for ten francs a gatna. I did not hold good hands, but I never la* the Colonel play anything like so badly as he did that night ; iv f aot, vhen tncs he began to mark the king, I hal thought he did it oa purpose tbjit I should win. But when I }aok*d across at him, his face instead of as usual being smiling »nd debonuflir whether winning or UHug, was so full of rage th»t I thought it was the lattor which occasioned bis bad pluy. His hand trembled, wo, as if with passion or excitement, so I put him down after all A* a bad loser. "There!" said Sljugshy, "that makes y <w » -winner o f a hundred pounds exactly, Kider: and if I were you, as it's getting late, uud the ladies have gone, I should be satisfied with so much revenge, that is if ■Colonel Bullfinche is." The Colonel throw the cards on the table, and oaid he was satisfied to drop, as lie was Bipk of ecarle. And be looked i* !

Perceiving things ho unpleasant, I acquiesced gladly. •• Good-night, GVlonel Bullfiu he," said T, "I Bhall ca'l t<i-'""rrow, U> in-ike my adieux to your wife and daughter. Wo have bad some plea-ant evenings, and if I won to-night, it was only by revenge." " Good-night," said the Colonel ; "I'm afraid you'll be too busy to call to-morrow ; I'm very sorry for you, but I must let you out myself thin evening. Good-night." And without a word more he slammed the door. " What on earth does it mean ?" said I ; " what's the matter with the Colonel ? I never saw him like that before. Did your calling there put him out, do you think, Slingaby?" "I am afraid it did," said he. "By the way, Rider, you can well spare me a ' pony ' out of that hundred, and mind, I won't promises to end it back, us I did that tenner. I think you fairly owe it me." "You can have a pony," flaid I, "but why?" "My dear boy, you ought to bo more wideawake by now, but I tnippose Miss Ruth's charm* blinded me— could think of nothing else, p h ? Why, bless you, Bullfinche in no more a colonel than you are, but he can do more with the cards than anybody I know. He lives upon such as you ; the daughter ia the bait. The six or seven naps you lost a week ago just kept them, and directly the time was up for you to leave, he went for the coup. If I had not turned up to your rescue, you would have lost another couple of hundred to-night, if not more, but he saw I would not stand it. I thought it 9afest to let him know we would leave him fifty to the good. Thanks for the pony." I did not call to say good-bye next day, but returned to Ireland. — Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic.