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The Gaming Table-Vol. 1-Part21_Andrew Steinmetz(1816-1877)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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inn, soon prevailed over his resolution, and on his return to the

gaming table he was stripped of his last farthing. He went to



his lodgings, sold his clothes, and by that means again appeared

at his old haunt, for the half-crown stakes, by which he



honourably repaid his loan of L30. His end was unknown to the

relater of the anecdote, but `ten to one,' it was ruin.



At the same place, in the year 1793, the heir-apparent of an

Irish Marquis lost at various times nearly L20,000 at a



billiard table, partly owing to his antagonist being an excellent

calculator, as well as a superior player.



A French emigrant at Aix-la-Chapelle, who carried a basket of

tarts, liqueurs, &c., for regaling the gamesters, put down



twenty-five louis at _Rouge et Noir_. He lost. He then put down

fifteen, and lost again; at the third turn he staked ten; but



while the cards were being shuffled, seeming to recollect

himself, he felt all his pockets, and at length found two large



French crowns, and a small one, which he also ventured. The deal

was determined at the ninth card; and the poor wretch, who had



lost his all, dashed down his basket, started from his seat,

overturning two chairs as he forced the circle, tore off his



hair, and with horrid blasphemies, burst the folding doors, and

rushing out like a madman, was seen no more.



Another emigrant arrived here penniless, but meeting a friend,

obtained the loan of a few crowns, nearly his all. With these he



went to the rooms, put down his stake, and won. He then

successively doubled his stakes till he closed the evening with a



hundred louis in his pocket. He went to his friend, and with

mutual congratulations they resolved to venture no more, and



calculated how long their gains would support them from absolute

want, and thus seemed to strengthen their wise resolution.



The next night, however, the lucky gambler returned to the room--

but only to be a spectator, as he firmly said. Alas! his



resolution failed him, and he quitted the tables indebted to a

charitable bystander for a livre or two, to pay for his petty



refreshments.

It is said that the annual profit to the bankers was 120,000



florins, or L14,000.

`The very name of Aix-la-Chapelle,' says a traveller, `makes one



think (at least, makes me think) of cards and dice,--sharks and

pigeons. It has a "professional odour" upon it, which is



certainly not that of sanctity. I entered the Redoute with my

head full of sham barons, German Catalinas, and the thousand-and-



one popular tales of renowned knights of the green cloth,--their

seducing confederates, and infatuated dupes.



`The rooms are well distributed; the saloons handsome. A

sparkling of ladies, apparently (and really, as I understood) of



the best water, the _elite_, in short, of Aix-la-Chapelle,

were lounging on sofas placed round the principalsaloon, or



fluttering about amidst a crowd of men, who filled up the centre

of the room, or thronged round the tables that were ranged on one



side of it.

`The players continued their occupation in death-like silence,



undisturbed by the buzz or the gaze of the lookers-on; not a

sound was heard but the rattle of the heaped-up money, as it was



passed from one side of the table to the other; nor was the

smallest anxiety or emotionvisible on any countenance.



`The scene was unpleasing, though to me curious from its novelty.

Ladies are admitted to play, but there were none occupied this



morning. I was glad of it; indeed, though English travellers are

accused of carrying about with them a portable code of morality,



which dissolves or stiffens like a soap-cake as circumstances may

affect its consistency, yet I sincerely believe that there are



few amongst us who would not feel shocked at seeing one of the

gentler sex in so unwomanly a position.'[82]



[82] Reminiscences of the Rhine, &c. Anon.

WIESBADEN.






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