366 THE BORDERLAND OF SCIENCE. 



chance has always puzzled me respecting this inci- 

 dent of childhood, which made too great an impression 

 ever to be effaced.' 



It is probable that most of our readers can recall 

 some circumstance in their lives, some surprising coin- 

 cidence, which has caused a similar impression, and 

 which they have found it almost impossible to regard 

 as strictly fortuitous. 



In chance games especially, curious coincidences 

 of the sort occur, and lead to the superstitious notion 

 that they are not mere coincidences, but in some definite 

 way associated with the fate or fortune of the player, or 

 else with some event which has previously taken place, 

 a change of seats, a new deal, or the like. There is 

 scarcely a gambler who is not prepared to assert his 

 faith in certain observances whereby, as he believes, a 

 change of luck may be brought about. In an old work 

 on card-games the player is gravely advised, if the luck 

 has been against him, to turn three times round with 

 his chair, ' for then the luck will infallibly change in 

 your favour.' 



Equally superstitious is the notion that anger brings 

 bad luck, or, as M. Houdin's authority puts it, that 

 * the demon of bad luck invariably pursues a passionate 

 player.' At a game of pure chance good temper makes 

 the player careless under ill-fortune, but it cannot 

 secure him against it. In like manner, passion may 

 excite the attention of others to the player's losses, and 

 in any case causes himself to suffer more keenly under 

 them, but it is only in this sense that passion is un- 



