All unsuspected by the older people, he was exerting a very demoralizing
influence over the younger boy. Every afternoon they sought out some
private spot and had a game of cards, and little by little Ralph had
introduced gambling into the game, till now the stakes were high in
proportion to the means of the players.
On this particular afternoon they had taken possession of a summer-house
in a retired part of the grounds, and were deep in play.
Ralph at first let Max win, the stakes being small; then raising them
higher, he won again and again, till he had stripped Max of all his
pocket money and his watch.
Max felt himself ruined, and broke out in passionate exclamations of grief
and despair, coupled with accusations of cheating, which were, indeed,
well founded.
Ralph grew furious and swore horrible oaths, and Max answered with a
repetition of his accusation, concluding with an oath, the first he had
uttered since his father's serious talk with him on the exceeding
sinfulness and black ingratitude of profanity.
All that had passed then, the passages of Scripture telling of the
punishment of the swearer under the Levitical law, flashed back upon him
as the words left his lips, and covering his face with his hands he
groaned in anguish of spirit at thought of his fearful sin.
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