In early years,
tolerations of publicly authorized gambling houses in Paris “bore fruit of
duels, murders, and crowed morgues” (pg. 570).
Such entertainment was “utterly extinguished by the stoical ordinance of
the Republic”, but has, as of recent, been reintroduced (pg. 570). “The Bank is wise and uses sweet
encouragement to all comers that they should cast down abundantly their gold
and silver, Naps, and English guineas” (pg. 570). Being held to be a ravening monster preying
upon all unhappy players, the bank is only fair game for such craft (pg.
572).
At
the doors, all visitors are requested to give up their hat, which is a “curious
rule rigidly enforced in every house” (pg. 572). Such slender refreshment as beer is served
round gratuitously and public houses such as “Frascati’s” and “the Stranger’s
Club”, as well as many more, have its share of histories and miraculous turns
of fortune (pg. 572). In one such story,
a young provincial came on the eve of his wedding to purchase nuptial presents
for his bride, but he only carried a mere fifteen francs. He strayed into one of the gambling houses
and left, rejoicing, bearing with him many expensive offerings for his fiancée
and ninety-thousand francs!
While
there are several similar stories, though few and far between, there are more
prominent stories of the gloomier kind.
An example involves a General Gris, who “played until all his broad
lands in Normandy were utterly melted away” (pg. 572). But worse, he “wildly staked his little
daughter in the portion” and she, too, has gone the way of the rest (pg.
572). In another tale, a young Russian
nobleman sat playing for “twenty-four hours at a stretch” (pg. 570). He staked and lost his money first, then his
jewels and watches, then his “vast estates at home, his trees, malachite mines,
serfs and all” (pg. 570). When, finally,
he withdrew himself into a quiet, dark corner, he “pistolled” himself in the face
(pg. 570).
Now,
some luckless player may find fate floating before him, thinking he may grasp
fortune, but he, too, may lose all to the bank.
- Mckenzie
Frey
Source:
Household Words, Volume XV, pg. 570-573
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