Therefore he lives by gambling, which might be excusable if he did not cheat.

In gambling, you know, cousin, the mere law of chance will not put much money in a man's purse.
Good luck is but another name for skill in trickery.

If one would thrive by cards and dice, one must be a thief." There was another angry movement by Hamilton, which I interrupted, smiling, bowing, and saying, "Let us talk this matter over calmly, smilingly, if possible." "I'll smile when I can," returned Hamilton, made more angry, if that were possible, by a paradoxical inclination to laugh.

"Proceed, baron, proceed! I am becoming interested in myself." Frances gave a nervous little laugh, looked first to Hamilton, then to me and back again, as though she would ask what it all meant, and I continued:-- "As I have said, Frances, Master Hamilton and his friends live by cheating at cards and other games in a manner to make all decent men avoid play with them.

They pluck strangers and feather their purses from new geese who do not know their methods.