'If her Highness be not in love with the little Frenchman,' my uncle said to me one night after play, 'may I lose the sight of my last eye!' 'And what then, sir ?' said I.
'What then ?' said my uncle, looking me hard in the face.

'Are you so green as not to know what then?
Your fortune is to be made, if you choose to back it now; and we may have back the Barry estates in two years, my boy.' 'How is that ?' asked I, still at a loss.
My uncle drily said, 'Get Magny to play; never mind his paying: take his notes of hand.

The more he owes the better; but, above all, make him play.' 'He can't pay a shilling,' answered I.'The Jews will not discount his notes at cent.

per cent.' 'So much the better.

You shall see we will make use of them,' answered the old gentleman.