Online Casino Players.com

Volume I

The Gaming Table by Andrew Steinmetz, Volume II

I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | IX | X | XI | XII | XIII | XIV

Chevaliers D'industrie, Or Polite Sharpers

The count, enormously rich as he was, would only play for
bank-notes. 'Metal smells bad in a room,' he said. The novice,
at first confused at being a party to the intended roguery,
followed the dictates of his conscience and, neglecting the
advantages of his hands, trusted merely to chance. The result
was that the only thousand-franc bank-note he had was speedily
transferred to the count. At that moment Chauvignac gave him a
significant look, and this, together with the desire to retrieve
his loss, induced him to put into execution the culpable
manoeuvres which his friend had taught him. His work was of the
easiest; the count was so short-sighted that he had to keep his
nose almost upon the cards to see them. Chance now turned, as
might be expected, and thousand-franc bank-notes soon accumulated
in the hands of Olivier, who, intoxicated by this possession,
worked away with incredible ardour. Moreover, the count was not
in the least out of humour at losing so immensely; on the
contrary, he was quite jovial; indeed, from his looks he might
have been supposed to be the winner. At length, however, he said
with a smile, taking a pinch from his golden snuff-box--'I am
evidently not in vein. I have lost eighty thousand francs. I
see that I shall soon be in for one hundred thousand. But it is
proper, my dear sir, that I should say I don't make a habit of
losing more than this sum at a sitting; and if it must be so, I
propose to sup before losing my last twenty thousand francs.
Perhaps this will change my vein. I think you will grant me this
indulgence.' The proposal was agreed to.

Previous ... Next
Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23