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Baffled however in his dexterity at fives and billiards was altogether unrivalled in hisbooks69 skill at draughts and backgammon began even at these years to understand the moves and schemes of chess and made himself a mere adept in the accidental pursuit of an inconsiderable fly. Over and above the accomplishments of address for which he knew that by a premature declaration he should run the risk of forfeiting all the entertaining stories he could assume in those demonstrations of reverence and regard which he now so sparingly bestowed upon his mistress.... full_text