and lo! amongst all these appear’d a creature,

so small, he almost might a twin have been,

with miss crachami—dwarfish quite in stature,

yet well proportion’d—neither fat nor lean,

his face of marvellously pleasant feature.

so short and sweet a man was never seen—

all thought him charming at the first beginning—

alas, ere long they found him far too winning!

[pg 38]

he seem’d in love with chance—and chance repaid

his ardent passion with her fondest smile,

the sunshine of good luck, without a shade,

he staked and won—and won and staked—the bile

it stirr’d of many a man and many a maid,

to see at every venture how that vile

small gambler snatch’d—and how he won them too—

a living pam, omnipotent at loo!