 play, at the beginning, wore off by degrees; and habit had seduced my mind into such a passion for cards, in a short time, that I regretted the Sundays that my mother confined me at home, after the church service was over, to read proper discourses, and listen to her most excellent instructions.
Mr. W—, an elderly gentleman of fortune, used generally to be of our parties.—He seemed to distinguish me, in a particular manner, and used to favour me at play; which, as soon as I discovered, I immediately resented, and declared I would lay down my cards, if he should ever again attempt to pay me the least compliment of the kind, to the disadvantage, either of himself, or any of the rest of the company.—This proper

reproof of mine obliged him to restrain his too indelicate galantry towards me for the future.
My card-accompt preserved itself pretty even for some time, without giving me occasion to trespass on the credit which my friend Matilda had made me so voluntary a proffer of; till one night that I happened to be led in by her, to engage at loo, which was a game I had never played at before, and knew so little of, as not to be aware how deeply I might be involved, upon a turn of luck against me.—The stakes were not high, but, as the sorfeits were unlimited, I found myself indebted to Mr. W—, in the sum of thirty guineas, when the party broke up.
I applied to my friend for the money, but she put me off at that time, by saying

that I should try my fortune again, the next evening, at her apartments; and that she would then put whatever ballance should appear against me on a proper footing for payment.—I was tempted to venture on a second essay at the same game, and concluded the night with doubling the debt to the same person. I then claimed Matilda's promise; but she answered me with great coldness, and a constrained smile, that my creditor was a gentleman of large fortune, and, as he had made her a confidant of his partiality in my favour, she should think it a breach of honour to take me out of his hands, by releasing me from so trifling an obligation as this was.
The surprise and alarm I felt upon this occasion is not to be expressed—It was

too surely a presage of all my future miseries!—I began to find that I had been most treacherously dealt by—I retired to my chamber, without speaking even to
