luigi had telegraphed to his uncle by which train he should travel, and the captain met him at the terminus. sir gilbert's cheque had already been cashed, and uncle and nephew now proceeded to lay in a small but sufficient supply of travelling necessaries. after that they dined at a french restaurant and finished up the evening at a music-hall.
next day they crossed to antwerp, from which place luigi wrote a few lines to sir gilbert from a rough draft furnished him by the captain.
"my dear grandfather,--we reached here from harwich early this morning. we are staying over till to-morrow at my wish, there being many objects of interest in this memorable old city which i have long been desirous of seeing. this forenoon we visited the cathedral and two of the more celebrated churches, in each of which we found much to interest us. the afternoon was devoted to the so-called museum, where is a celebrated collection of paintings, including several by rubens and other well-known masters of the dutch school. i need scarcely say that we were highly gratified.
"we start by an early train to-morrow for bale, which we purpose making our head-quarters. we shall, however, if we find the trains convenient, break our journey for a couple of hours at cologne in order to visit the dom, which i feel sure you would not like me to miss seeing."
within an hour of posting the foregoing letter uncle and nephew were on their way to brussels, although it was one of the two places specified by sir gilbert which he was desirous that his grandson should not visit.
it was not the first time the captain had been there, and of such an agreeable kind were the recollections he retained of it that he had felt irresistibly tempted to visit it again. the fact was that on the occasion of his previous visit he had left the city richer by twenty-five pounds than he had entered it, that being the amount of his winnings after a couple of nights at the gaming-table. trifling though such a sum might seem to many people, to the impecunious captain it represented a very substantial and satisfactory gain. thus it was scarcely to be wondered at, now he found himself in the neighbourhood and in the possession of ample funds, that a great longing should come over him to tempt fortune in the same way again. he would only risk a small sum, so that if he should prove so unfortunate as to lose it, no great harm would be done, while, if he should be lucky enough to double or treble it, his winnings would help to clear off some of his more pressing liabilities when he should get back to town. it was unfortunate that he was not in a position to prosecute his little adventure alone, but where he went luigi must of necessity go too--not, as he presently found when he broached the subject, that his nephew needed more than a hint to cause him to exhibit an almost absurd amount of eagerness to follow his worthy relative's example.
thus it came to pass that about nine o'clock that same evening uncle and nephew, without any further introduction than a few whispered words between the captain and the man on guard at the door, were at once admitted to the self-styled club or cercle (which, in reality, differed scarcely, if at all, from a common gambling haunt), of which the captain retained such pleasing recollections. it had been agreed that on no account should they risk more than twenty-five pounds between them, out of which the captain, as being the more experienced of the two, took fifteen for his share, leaving luigi the remaining ten.
soon after midnight the captain perforce stopped playing for lack of funds. his fifteen pounds had vanished to the last franc; but, on the other hand, singular to relate in view of his inexperience, luigi rose from the table a winner to the extent of fourteen pounds. captain verinder at once decided that next morning should see them en route for bale.
but it was not to be. while taking an after-breakfast stroll--he had decided not to start till the midday train--the captain encountered a man who, a few years before, had been one of his most intimate friends. this person, tyars by name, was now settled in brussels and in a good position, and nothing would satisfy him but that verinder and his nephew must dine and spend the evening at his house, an arrangement to which, after a little demur, the captain agreed.
as it fell out, however, he was compelled to go alone, luigi, in the course of the afternoon, being seized with one of the violent sick headaches to which he had been subject at times ever since he could remember. his uncle left him prostrate on a couch in a darkened room.
but for once the usually astute and suspicious captain had been thoroughly hoodwinked. scarcely had he disappeared before luigi sat up, chuckling softly to himself. he was bent on a little adventure of his own in which his uncle should have neither part nor parcel. the demon of gambling had got him in his grip, and luigi lent a willing ear to his enticements. he had won fourteen pounds last night, why should he not win forty, eighty, a hundred to-night? he could see no reason whatever why he should not.
in the big solid-leather portmanteau which held both his uncle's clothes and his own was stored away a little roll of bank-notes of the value of one hundred pounds, the same being part of the proceeds of sir gilbert's cheque. luigi's intention was to abstract a couple or three five-pound notes and with them, in addition to his overnight winnings, to try his luck at the cercle for the second time. he had opened the portmanteau and the roll of notes was in his fingers, when he was startled by the sound of voices, one of which he took to be his uncle's, in the corridor outside. in an instant he had shut down the lid of the portmanteau and crammed, the notes into his pocket. the alarm proved to be a false one, but luigi, having taken possession of the whole of the notes, saw no reason why he should put any of them back. after all, they were his property and not his uncle's; besides, although he might take them with him to the cercle, he was fully determined not to risk more than the sum he had originally fixed on: it was a determination from which nothing should move him. how his uncle would open his eyes in the morning at beholding his nephew's overnight winnings scattered carelessly on the dressing-table!
captain verinder opened his eyes very wide indeed when, on entering his nephew's room some time after midnight, he found luigi pacing it, wild-eyed, haggard, with clenched hands, tumbled hair and rumpled clothes, like a man half distraught. he had come back from the gaming table penniless. in the excitement of play, all his fine resolutions had vanished like chaff before the wind. he had gone on losing madly, recklessly, till not only had the hundred pounds gone, but his previous night's winnings and whatever else he had had in his purse to boot. well might the captain when, bit by bit, the truth had been dragged out, sit down and stare at him in blank dismay. no words at his command could have expressed more than a tithe of what he felt.
