It was a heavy blow to me, Mr.Thorndyke, when Philip told me; but as he has sworn most solemnly never to touch a card again, and as I feel sure that the lesson cannot but be a useful one to him all his life, I have agreed to say no more about it, and let the matter drop altogether.
He has been fortunate to have escaped so easily.

He has told me of the noble offer you made to pay his losses if you should not be able to prove that he was being cheated." "I was not committing myself heavily," Mark said with a smile.

"I had seen enough to be absolutely certain, and was sure that I should be able to bring it home to them." "But it was at a considerable risk to yourself, Mr.Thorndyke.As it was, you had a narrow escape of being shot." "Not a very narrow escape," Mark replied.

"With so many men standing round him and their attention called to him, it was certain that he would be seized before he could take aim at me.

I had pistols in my pocket, and was prepared to fire in an instant, but I saw at once that there was no occasion for that." "But I cannot imagine how you should have detected the cheating," the banker said.