1822,] 
As I opened the door, I found on 
either side the eyes of a gendarme, in 
‘undress, fixed upon me. I dare say I 
looked foolishly ; for I felt rather con- 
fused as I ascended; their presence 
was most wnexpected: a military 
beard in a private house does not 
create very agreeable sensations to an 
Englishman; and, particularly, I did 
not at all like the kind of look they 
gave me. For a second [ bethought 
myself, and scon mentally decided, 
when a rogue in Paris pilfers in lar- 
eeny, he runs here to rid himself of 
the uneasiness of ill-gotten wealth, and 
the strong looks of these soldiers are 
meant asa test of character. My first 
impulse was to retreat in shame: I 
had paused; but a man held out his 
hand for my hat and switch, so I took 
the number of the peg on which they 
were to be, and putit into my pocket. 
By-the-bye, one is never admitted into 
any public place in France with them, 
and the porter always expects remu- 
neration for the partial guardianship : 
hence, as I went about curiously, my 
hat soon cost me double its valuc, and 
for my switch,—it now lies unused, 
from memory thereof, in my chamber,— 
I paid, as to its worth, I dare say at 
the rate of about a thousand per 
cent. 
Thus I entered, and disgust seized 
me in a moment: the air of the 
room, was heavy and close, where a 
crowd of men, badly dressed, and 
poorly featured, silently surrounded a 
long table, covered with green cloth. 
For the presumption of a scene of 
wealth, it was strewed with rouleaus of 
gold and silver, and folds of notes 
shifted their lettered edges with the 
lightest current of air, as if temptingly 
eager to leap into the gambler’s 
pocket. Otherwise, here was no 
splendor. At the corner seemed as- 
sembled literally a generation: an 
aged father, with long prudential face, 
and sage experienced hand, ruled the 
hazardous motions of his son, who 
wanted hastily to stake for a chance of 
a capital, with which to set up again 
the business in which he had only 
failed during the week; while the art- 
less wonder of a little boy, the heir of 
his speculative fatuity, as he fondled 
betweemhis legs, served not a little to 
flush his imagination to a bolder risk. 
Hence, as my eyes wandered, I ob- 
served, one after the other, many a 
man whose garb babbled distress far 
more forcibly than eye eyer spoke 
Notes during a Visit to Paris. 
407 
favour; many a one was there before 
me no longer what he had been, and 
many another hoping soon to be what 
he never was. Down they sat, side 
by side, in equality ; the antient mar- _ 
quis and his old valet ; the man of busi- 
ness and the sheer spendthrilt; the 
Jew and the Christian; the soldier 
and the sexton; and that most miser- 
able of the born, who ever ended his 
incessant boast of the former honours 
his name had held, by a lamentation 
of his own present want and bad luck ; 
and again, just opposite to him, was 
the more cheerful wight, who was only 
remembered by the name he got in 
baptism, and even that contracted. 
In a word, on the same old chairs 
were huddled unceremoniously toge- 
ther, men of every rank and. every 
character; the poor and the honest,— 
aye, honest, I believe, there were even 
there; alike unheedful of the rogue be- 
side; and the rogue as unpresuming 
on the honour of a seat next a fellow- 
creature of decent pretensions. 
After twelve at night the scene 
heightens: the gay of the neighbour- 
hood are admitted. Some of them 
play, and surprise the men by the grace 
with which they lose, and the superior 
ease with which they win: others, who 
lack. the means to display this elegant 
facility in the same manner, advance 
smiles and sweet words to smooth the 
cares of the unfortunate, and improve 
the joys-of the winner. Less order 
now prevails: the girls laugh loudly, 
and the luckless still more loudly de- 
nounce their lot, and imprecate their 
folly. The banker implores silence, 
but in vain; the uacharitable officer at 
last removes the offender, little heed- 
ing the earnest oath, that the next bail 
is to restore the night’s losses. 
But to be particular : [moved down 
to the foot of the table, for a clear 
view, and soon acquired a knowledge 
of the game before me—Roulette.. 
In the centre of the table is a cylindri- 
cal cavity, for the circulation of a ball, 
which is thrown in by a marker, and’ 
forced into rapid motion by a cross, 
which turns on a pivot, and barely 
skims the surface. Inside are promis- 
cuously set, in a circle of little holes, 
a cypher, a double cypher, and thirty- 
six numbers, half painted red, and 
half black. From this sphere to either 
end of the table, for the company to 
stake on, run regularly, in three rows, 
the same cypher, double cypher, and 
thirty-six numbers, half painted black, 
and 
