A man of youthful middle-age, carefully dressed, with a large, clean-shaven face, blue eyes, and fair hair sprinkled with grey, came towards them.

He was well set up, almost anxiously ingratiating in manner.
"You see now what Providence has sent," Sir Daniel Harker observed under his breath.
"It is enough to make an atheist of one, this!" the Prince muttered.
"Any bridge ?" the newcomer enquired, seating himself at the table and shuffling one of the packs of cards.
The three men rose to their feet with varying degrees of unwillingness.
"Immelan is too good for us," Sir Daniel grumbled.

"He always wins." "I am lucky," the newcomer admitted, "but I may be your partner; in which case, you too will win." "If you are my partner," the Prince declared, "I shall play for five pounds a hundred.

I desire to gamble.

London is beginning to weary me." "Mr.Kingley is a better player, though not so lucky," Immelan acknowledged, with a little bow.
"Never believe it, with all due respect to our young friend here," Sir Daniel replied, as he cut a card.