But Cardiff, the Lib Dems' jewel in the crown, was its most precious gain.
If the Conservatives' new stars, such as Major-General Lewis Mackenzie, of Bosnia fame, can roll back Reform support, the party could make precious gains.But there are risks in Mr Charest's tactic.
It is true that in the darkest time of the war, during 1708 10, when the kingdom was in the grip of famine and the royal treasury on the brink of bankruptcy, the desperate king was ready to give up these precious gains and was prevented only by the intransigence of his opponents with their impossible demand that he should himself assist in driving his grandson from the throne of Spain.
Wigan overturned an 18-4 half-time deficitoto gain a precious 24-20 vintory in an epic repeat of last October's Grand Final to ensure a top-three finish in the Super League.
The ability to offer a completely tailored experience, and gain a precious piece of real estate in the user's dock or applications folder, is a powerful proposition, if the app can break through to the top of the pile.
If devices featuring the new chip catch on, they might help Intel gain a precious foothold in the broader market for smartphone and tablet processors, which it is all but shut out from (see "The Pressure's On for Intel").
Cardiff remain becalmed in mid-table after the result, which saw Millwall gain a precious point in their Championship relegation fight.
Asked to write a letter explaining why he should be one of the 60 to apply to be given a place, he gained a precious berth.
It bought complicated financial hedges intended to mitigate the impact of high fuel prices, and gained a precious advantage over its competitors as oil prices soared.
"They're a precious commodity".
