At last, however, he came to a check.

He made a large stake, which he determined should be the last, whether he lost or won.

He had often so determined before, to be sure, and as often broken his determination; and so it was this time.

He lost; and while his antagonist smilingly swept away the stakes, he turned chalky white, drew back in silence, and wiped his forehead.

I was present at the time; and while he stood with folded arms and eyes fixed on the ground, I knew well enough what was passing in his mind.
'"Is it to be the last, Lowborough ?" said I, stepping up to him.
'"The last but one," he answered, with a grim smile; and then, rushing back to the table, he struck his hand upon it, and, raising his voice high above all the confusion of jingling coins and muttered oaths and curses in the room, he swore a deep and solemn oath that, come what would, this trial should be the last, and imprecated unspeakable curses on his head if ever he should shuffle a card or rattle a dice-box again.
He then doubled his former stake, and challenged any one present to play against him.