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The Man On Putney Hill
"No,"saidhe;"Iamhosttoday. Champagne! GreatGod! We’veaheavyenoughtaskbeforeus! Letustakearestandgatherstrengthwhilewemay. Lookattheseblisteredhands!"
Andpursuanttothisideaofaholiday,heinsisteduponplayingcardsafterwehadeaten. Hetaughtmeeuchre,andafterdividingLondonbetweenus,Itakingthenorthernsideandhethesouthern,weplayedforparishpoints. Grotesqueandfoolishasthiswillseemtothesoberreader,itisabsolutelytrue,andwhatismoreremarkable,Ifoundthecardgameandseveralothersweplayedextremelyinteresting.
Strangemindofman! that,withourspeciesupontheedgeofexterminationorappallingdegradation,withnoclearprospectbeforeusbutthechanceofahorribledeath,wecouldsitfollowingthechanceofthispaintedpasteboard,andplayingthe"joker"withvividdelight. Afterwardshetaughtmepoker,andIbeathimatthreetoughchessgames. Whendarkcamewedecidedtotaketherisk,andlitalamp.
Afteraninterminablestringofgames,wesupped,andtheartillerymanfinishedthechampagne. Wewentonsmokingthecigars. HewasnolongertheenergeticregeneratorofhisspeciesIhadencounteredinthemorning. Hewasstilloptimistic,butitwasalesskinetic,amorethoughtfuloptimism. Irememberhewoundupwithmyhealth,proposedinaspeechofsmallvarietyandconsiderableintermittence. Itookacigar,andwentupstairstolookatthelightsofwhichhehadspokenthatblazedsogreenlyalongtheHighgatehills.
AtfirstIstaredunintelligentlyacrosstheLondonvalley. Thenorthernhillswereshroudedindarkness; thefiresnearKensingtonglowedredly,andnowandthenanorange-redtongueofflameflashedupandvanishedinthedeepbluenight.
