Mr Winkle was asleep, and Mr Tupman knew enough about such matters to know that the moment Mr Winkle awoke he would, if left to himself, walk heavily to his bed. Mr Tupman could not decide. 'Fill your glass, and pass the wine,' said the indefatigable visitor.

Mr Tupman did as he was requested; and that last glass was enough to make up his mind. 'Winkle's bedroom is inside mine,' said Mr Tupman; 'If I woke him now, I couldn't make him understand that I wanted to borrow his dinner suit. But I know he has one in a carpet bag; and if you wore it to the ball, and took it off when we returned, I could replace it without bothering Mr Winkle at all about the matter.'

'Capital,' said the stranger, 'excellent plan - though its a very strange situation - I have fourteen coats in my suitcases, and I am obliged to wear another man's - but its a very good notion.'

'We must purchase our tickets,' said Mr Tupman. 'It's not worthwhile each of us finding half a guinea,' said the stranger, 'Toss who shall pay for both. I call; you toss - I call - woman - magical woman,' and down came the sovereign with the dragon (which was called 'the woman') uppermost.

Vocabulary:

Indefatigable: Never tired.
Carpet bag: A large bag of heavy cloth used as a suitcase.
Obliged: Have no choice.
Notion: Idea.
Purchase: Buy.
Guinea: An old coin
Toss: Throw into the air. ('Toss for it' means decide with a coin)
Sovereign: An old gold coin. It showed a dragon where there was usually a female figure.
Uppermost: With that side facing up