sent for a large quantity of tartar emetic, which he took. After

he had suffered the operation of the first dose he sent for a



doctor, who pronounced him, of course, very languid and ill; and

not knowing the cause, ordered him more medicine, which the



patient took good care not to allow to stay on his stomach.

On the second day he asked the doctor, with great gravity, if he



considered him in danger, adding, 'because he had never made a

WILL to bequeath his property.' The doctor replied, 'No, not in



absolute danger, but there was no harm in making a WILL.'

The attorney, accordingly, was sent for--of course the very man



wished for--the lover of Backgammon before mentioned. The good

man came; he took the 'instructions,' and drew up the last will



and testament of the ruined turfite, who left (in the will) about

L50,000, which no man ever heard of, living or dead.



The BUSINESS being done, the patient said that if he had a

moment's relaxation he thought he should rally and overcome the



malady. The poor lawyer said if he could in any way contribute

to his comfort he should be happy. The offer was embraced by



observing that if he could sit up in bed--but he was afraid he

was not able--a hit at Backgammon would be a great source of



amusement.

The lawyer, like all adepts in such matters, was only too willing



to catch at the idea; the board was brought.

Of course the man who had L50,000 to leave behind could not be



expected to play 'for love;' and so when Mr H--e proposed 'a

pound a hit or treble a gammon,' the lawyer not only thought it



reasonable, but, conscious of his power in the game, eagerly

accepted the terms of playing. They played; but the lawyer was



gammoned almost incessantly, till he lost L50. Then H--e

proposed 'double or quits to L1000,'--thereupon the poor lawyer,



believing that fortune could not always forsake him, said he had

but L2000 in the world, but that he would set the L1000. He



lost; and became almost frantic. In the midst of his excessive

grief, H--e said, 'You have a HORSE, what is it worth?' L50 was



the answer. 'Well, well, you may win all back now, and I'll set

L50 on your horse.'



They began again. Lost! 'You have a COW in your paddock,

haven't you? What's that worth?' asked Mr H--e. The attorney



said L12. 'Well, I'll set that sum by way of giving you a

chance.' The game proceeded, and the poor lawyer, equally



unfortunate, raved and swore he had lost his last shilling. 'No,

no!' said H--e,' you have not: I saw a HAY-RICK in your ground.



It is of no use now that the horse and cow are gone-- what is

that worth?' L15, replied the attorney, with a sigh. 'I set L15



then,' said H--e.

This seemed to be 'rather too much' for the lawyer. The loss of



the hay-rick--like the last straw laid on the overladen camel's

back--staggered him. Besides, he thought he saw--as doubtless he



did see--H--e twisting his fingers round one of the dice. Up he

started at once, and declared that he was cheated!



Thereupon the sick man forgot his sickness, jumped out of bed,

and gave the lawyer a regular drubbing, got the cheque for the



L2000,--but the horse, cow, and hay he said he would leave 'until

further orders.'



A VERY CURIOUS STORY.

An Archbishop of Canterbury was once on a tour, when a genteel



man, apparently in earnest conversation, though alone in a wood,

attracted his notice. His Grace made up to him, and, after a



little previous conversation, asked him what he was about.

Stranger. 'I am at play.'



Archbishop. 'At play? With whom? I see nobody.'

Sir. 'I own, sir, my antagonist is not visible: I am playing



with God.'

Abp. 'At what game, pray, sir?'



Str. 'At Chess.'

Abp. 'Do you play for anything?'



Str. 'Certainly.'

Abp. 'You cannot have any chance, as your adversary must be so



superior to you.'

Str. 'He takes no advantage, but plays merely as a man.'



Abp. 'When you win or lose, how do you settle accounts?'

• conscience [´kɔnʃəns] n.良心；道德心 (初中英语单词)


• moreover [mɔ:´rəuvə] ad.再者，此外，而且 (初中英语单词)


• humour [´hju:mə] n.幽默，诙谐 (初中英语单词)


• supposed [sə´pəuzd] a.想象的；假定的 (初中英语单词)


• resist [ri´zist] v.抵抗；对抗；抵制 (初中英语单词)


• capitalist [´kæpitəlist] a.资本主义的n.资本家 (初中英语单词)


• expert [´ekspə:t] n.&a.专家；内行 (初中英语单词)


• unfortunate [ʌn´fɔ:tʃunit] a.不幸的，运气差的 (初中英语单词)


• previous [´pri:viəs] a.先，前，以前的 (初中英语单词)


• despair [di´speə] vi.&n.绝望 (初中英语单词)


• wretched [´retʃid] a.可怜的；倒霉的 (初中英语单词)


• horrible [´hɔrəbəl] a.可怕的；恐怖的 (初中英语单词)


• enormous [i´nɔ:məs] a.巨大地，很，极 (初中英语单词)


• therefore [´ðeəfɔ:] ad.&conj.因此；所以 (初中英语单词)


• plainly [´pleinli] ad.平坦地；简单地 (初中英语单词)


• monsieur [mə´sjə:] n.先生 (初中英语单词)


• insult [in´sʌlt, ´insʌlt] n.&vt.侮辱；损害 (初中英语单词)


• satisfaction [,sætis´fækʃən] n.满意；满足 (初中英语单词)


• instant [´instənt] a.立即的 n.紧迫；瞬间 (初中英语单词)


• execute [´eksikju:t] vt.执行；表演；演奏 (初中英语单词)


• contrary [´kɔntrəri] a.相反的 n.相反 (初中英语单词)


• resign [ri´zain] v.辞职；放弃；委托 (初中英语单词)


• humble [´hʌmbəl] a.谦卑的 vt.贬抑 (初中英语单词)


• amount [ə´maunt] n.总数；数量 v.合计 (初中英语单词)


• account [ə´kaunt] vi.说明 vt.认为 n.帐目 (初中英语单词)


• attorney [ə´tə:ni] n.代理人；律师 (初中英语单词)


• obtain [əb´tein] v.获得；买到；得到承认 (初中英语单词)


• departure [di´pɑ:tʃə] n.离开，出发 (初中英语单词)


• illness [´ilnis] n.生病，不健康，疾病 (初中英语单词)


• knowing [´nəuiŋ] a.会意的，心照不宣的 (初中英语单词)


• accordingly [ə´kɔ:diŋli] ad.因此；从而；依照 (初中英语单词)


• overcome [,əuvə´kʌm] vt.战胜，克服 (初中英语单词)


• lawyer [´lɔ:jə] n.律师；法学家 (初中英语单词)


• conscious [´kɔnʃəs] a.意识的；自觉的 (初中英语单词)


• doubtless [´dautlis] ad.无疑地；大概，多半 (初中英语单词)


• sickness [´siknis] n.生病；呕吐，恶心 (初中英语单词)


• earnest [´ə:nist] a.认真的 n.认真；诚恳 (初中英语单词)


• visible [´vizəbəl] a.可见的；明显的 (初中英语单词)


• advantage [əd´vɑ:ntidʒ] n.优势；利益 (初中英语单词)


• saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)


• declaration [,deklə´reiʃən] n.宣布；宣言；申报 (高中英语单词)


• reservation [,rezə´veiʃən] n.保留；储备；预定 (高中英语单词)


• execution [,eksi´kju:ʃən] n.执行；演奏；表演 (高中英语单词)


• incredible [in´kredəbəl] a.不能相信的；惊人的 (高中英语单词)


• conspiracy [kən´spirəsi] n.密谋；协同作用 (高中英语单词)


• apparently [ə´pærəntli] ad.显然，表面上地 (高中英语单词)


• pleasantly [´plezntli] ad.令人愉快地；舒适地 (高中英语单词)


• confident [´kɔnfidənt] a.有信心的，自信的 (高中英语单词)


• opponent [ə´pəunənt] a.对立的 n.对手 (高中英语单词)


• appeal [ə´pi:l] vi.&n.请求；呼吁；上诉 (高中英语单词)


• guarantee [,gærən´ti:] n.保证；担保 vt.允诺 (高中英语单词)


• creditor [´kreditə] n.债权人；贷方；贷项 (高中英语单词)


• resignation [,rezig´neiʃən] n.辞职(书)；放弃；顺从 (高中英语单词)


• narrative [´nærətiv] a.叙述的 n.记事 (高中英语单词)


• exceedingly [ik´si:diŋli] ad.非常地，极度地 (高中英语单词)


• pronounced [prə´naunst] a.发出音的；显著的 (高中英语单词)


• gravity [´græviti] n.严肃；严重；重力 (高中英语单词)


• frantic [´fræntik] a.发狂的；急忙的 (高中英语单词)


• shilling [´ʃiliŋ] n.先令 (高中英语单词)


• archbishop [,ɑ:tʃ´biʃəp] n.大主教 (高中英语单词)


• enormously [i´nɔ:məsli] ad.巨大的，庞大的 (英语四级单词)


• ardour [´ɑ:də] n.热心，热情 (英语四级单词)


• immensely [i´mensli] ad.极大地，无限地 (英语四级单词)


• winner [´winə] n.胜利者，得奖者 (英语四级单词)


• belgian [´beldʒən] n.&a.比利时人(的) (英语四级单词)


• moderately [´mɔdəritli] ad.适度；适中；普通 (英语四级单词)


• parisian [pə´riziən] n.&a.巴黎人(的) (英语四级单词)


• prostrate [´prɔstreit, prɔ´streit] a.俯伏的 vt.弄倒 (英语四级单词)


• adversary [´ædvəsəri] n.敌手，对手 (英语四级单词)


• comply [kəm´plai] vi.照做 (英语四级单词)


• venerable [´venərəbəl] a.可尊敬的；森严的 (英语四级单词)


• bequeath [bi´kwi:ð] vt.遗赠；传下 (英语四级单词)


• testament [´testəment] n.契约，誓约；遗嘱 (英语四级单词)


• forsake [fə´seik] vt.遗弃，抛弃，摒绝 (英语四级单词)


• antagonist [æn´tægənist] n.敌手，反对者，对手 (英语四级单词)


• taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)


• infamous [´infəməs] a.声名狼藉的 (英语六级单词)


• pitiless [´pitiləs] a.无怜悯心的；无情的 (英语六级单词)


• gambler [´gæmblə] n.赌徒 (英语六级单词)


• languid [´læŋgwid] a.精神不振的 (英语六级单词)


• treble [´trebəl] a.&n.三倍(重)的 (英语六级单词)


• incessantly [in´sesntli] ad.不断地，不停地 (英语六级单词)