DALE (attempting the pure Italian accentuation).--"Signor Riccabocca." PARSON (slapping his cards on the table in despair).--"Are we playing at whist, or are we not ?" The squire, who is fourth player, drops the king to Captain Higginbotham's lead of the ace of hearts.

Now the captain has left queen, knave, and two other hearts, four trumps to the queen, and nothing to win a trick with in the two other suits.

This hand is therefore precisely one of those in which, especially after the fall of that king of hearts in the adversary's hand, it becomes a matter of reasonable doubt whether to lead trumps or not.

The captain hesitates, and not liking to play out his good hearts with the certainty of their being trumped by the squire, nor, on the other hand, liking to open the other suits, in which he has not a card that can assist his partner, resolves, as becomes a military man in such dilemma, to make a bold push and lead out trumps in the chance of finding his partner strong and so bringing in his long suit.
SQUIRE (taking advantage of the much meditating pause made by the captain).--"Mrs.Dale, it is not my fault.

I have asked Rickeybockey,--time out of mind.