three in the morning
he asked of Montague ; and when the other replied that he had not yet met any New York gamblers , young Harvey went on to tell how he had gone to buy this apparatus -LRB- the sale of which was forbidden by law -RRB- and had been asked by the dealer how `` strong '' he wanted it ! Then in the evening there was more dancing , and on Sunday another hunt . That night a gambling mood seemed to seize the company -- there were two bridge tables , and in another room the most reckless game of poker that Montague had ever sat in . It broke up at three in the morning , and one of the company wrote him a cheque for sixty-five hundred dollars ; but even that could not entirely smooth his conscience , nor reconcile him to the fever that was in his blood . Most important to him , however , was the fact that during the game he at last got to know Charlie Carter . Charlie did not play , for the reason that he was drunk , and one of the company told him so and refused to play with him ; which left poor Charlie nothing to do but get drunker . This he did , and came and hung over the shoulders of the players , and told the company all about himself .