He was playing with a terrible eagerness that went to Bertie's heart with the same sort of pang of remorse with which he had looked on him when he had been thrown like dead on his bed at home.
Cecil stopped and leaned over the open window.
"Ah, young one, I did not know you were here.

We are going home; will you come ?" he asked, with a careless nod to the rest of the young fellows.
Berkeley looked up with a wayward, irritated annoyance.
"No, I can't," he said irritably; "don't you see we are playing, Bertie ?" "I see," answered Cecil, with a dash of gravity, almost of sadness in him, as he leaned farther over the windowsill with his cigar in his teeth.
"Come away," he whispered kindly, as he almost touched the boy, who chanced to be close to the casement.

"Hazard is the very deuce for anybody; and you know Royal hates it.

Come with us, Berk; there's a capital set here, and I'm going to half a dozen good houses to-night, when we get back.

I'll take you with me.