At about two o'clock Grendall was the only winner. The play had not been very high, but nevertheless he had won largely. Whenever a large pool had collected itself he swept it into his garners. The men opposed to him hardly grudged him this stroke of luck. He had hitherto been unlucky; and they were able to pay him with his own paper, which was so valueless that they parted with it without a pang. Even Dolly Longestaffe seemed to have a supply of it. The only man there not so furnished was Montague, and while the sums won were quite small he was allowed to pay with cash. But to Sir Felix it was frightful to see ready money going over to Miles Grendall, as under no circumstances could it be got back from him. 'Montague,' he said, 'just change these for the time. I'll take them back, if you still have them when we've done.' And he handed a lot of Miles's paper across the table. The result of course would be that Felix would receive so much real money, and that Miles would get back more of his own worthless paper. To Montague it would make no difference, and he did as he was asked,--or rather was preparing to do so, when Miles interfered. On what principle of justice could Sir Felix come between him and another man? 'I don't understand this kind of thing,' he said. 'When I win from you, Carbury, I'll take my I.O.U.'s, as long as you have any.'
'By George, that's kind.'
'But I won't have them handed about the table to be changed.'
'Pay them yourself, then,' said Sir Felix, laying a handful down on the table.
'Don't let's have a row,' said Lord Nidderdale.
'Carbury is always making a row,' said Grasslough.
'Of course he is,' said Miles Grendall.
'I don't make more row than anybody else; but I do say that as we have such a lot of these things, and as we all know that we don't get cash for them as we want it, Grendall shouldn't take money and walk off with it.'
'Who is walking off?' said Miles.
'And why should you be entitled to Montague's money more than any of us?' asked Grasslough.
The matter was debated, and was thus decided. It was not to be allowed that Miles's paper should be negotiated at the table in the manner that Sir Felix had attempted to adopt. But Mr Grendall pledged his honour that when they broke up the party he would apply any money that he might have won to the redemption of his I.O.U.'s, paying a regular percentage to the holders of them. The decision made Sir Felix very cross. He knew that their condition at six or seven in the morning would not be favourable to such commercial accuracy,--which indeed would require an accountant to effect it; and he felt sure that Miles, if still a winner, would in truth walk off with the ready money.