March 2, 1872.] ROUGE ET NOIR. ceived a sudden shock within the last few days, which, if it means anything, bodes ill for the future of the morality of Europe at large, and France in particular. An ugly report is abroad that some financial genius has discovered a golden secret for paying out the "odious foreigner," in possession of French territory. The same benefactor to his species has unravelled his scheme to M. Thiers-namely, of re-establishing by authority the public gaminghouses, and thus raising a revenue to the Government sufficient not only to pay off the Prussian indemnity in full, but also to raise the vast paper money of the country M. Thiers is said to have to par value. coincided with the idea, and to have determined to ask Parliamentary sanction to the scheme. It is to be hoped that this lamentable scheme for making Paris one mighty Monaco may be nipped in the bud; but the most unpleasant sign is the spirit in which the French public has received the idea. One simultaneous thought runs through Some of the most famous watering-places secret. In view of the sad contingency presented to us, we cannot but think of the state of society in the old palmy days of gambling, not only in France, but in this country; and if this new scheme becomes law, the torrent of lawless speculation thus let loose in every class of French society will have no slight influence for evil on vast numbers in this country. Let us glance for a moment at some of the leading facts in the history of the gambling-table in France. In Paris, as elsewhere, the acquisition of enormous riches by gaming has ceased to be a fashionable vice; the more reputable way is considered to be by speculating on the Bourse-al see any appreciable difference between the Henry IV., the victim of Ravaillac, and Bassompierre, in his memoirs, relates that he won more than 500,000 livres-£25,000 in the course of a year, and that a cercrowns-£100,000. The winnings of this tain friend of his won more than 200,000 won at the Duc d'Epergnon's sufficient to courtier, Bassompierre, were enormous. He pay his debts, to dress superbly, to purchase the most costly jewellery-such as a sword, studded with diamonds; and after all these expenses, had two or three thousand pounds to "kill time with." "It was at the Court of Henry IV.," says a writer on the subject, "that was invented the method of speedy ruin by means of written vouchers for loss and gain-which simplified the thing in all subsequent times. It was there also that certain Italian masters of the gaming art displayed their talents, their suppleness and dexterity. One of sence of the Duke de Sully, appealed to the them, named Pimentello, having, in the prehonour which he enjoyed in having often played with Henry IV., the Duke exclaimed, sucker who is every day winning the King's By heavens! so you are the Italian bloodmoney! You have fallen into the wrong 'Go about your business,' said box, for I neither like nor wish to have anything to do with such fellows.' Pimentello Sully, giving him a shove. 'Your infernal got warm. It is a pity that humanity at large is not gibberish will not alter my resolve. Go!"" more plentifully endued with some of the great Sully's common sense. This same Pimentello is said to have bought over all the dice-sellers in Paris to load their dice, in order that he might with the greater certainty carry out his nefarious frauds at the gaming-table. After the death of Henry IV., and during the next reign, the passion for gaming form ing no part of the natural tastes of Louis XIII., whose chief amusement was the royal game of chess, gambling sank a short while into abeyance; but the change was of short duration. Louis XIV. "Le Grand Monarque," as the French love to call him-succeeded to the throne. He was passionately fond of gambling. This is partly attributable to his early training. Cardinal Mazarin, a confirmed gamester, and deeply imbued with the Italian spirit, lost no opportunity of sowing in the mind of the young King the desire for gambling-which, once implanted, can never be eradicated. He did not scruple, moreover, to profit by his own superior skill, and win large sums from the King; and it was a notorious fact that, ecclesiastic though he was, he would not disdain to use foul means if he found he was losing by fair. On one occasion, the principal personages of the time were the spectators of a performance which might well be termed "diamond cut diamond." The spectacle was Mazarin and the Count de Grammont playing together at cards, and trying to beat each other by cheating. The social state of France at this time was, as might be imagined, utterly corrupt; and, at the death of Louis XIV., threefourths of the nation were under the influence of one pervading idea-viz., gambling. In this reign, it may be noticed that lotteries were established and developed in France, the first being designed to celebrate the restoration of peace and the marriage of the King. ceeded, was glad to get away, in the best fashion he could, to Brussels. Some idea of the misery inflicted by this huge and hollow gambling scheme of John Law's may be formed from the fact that six hundred thousand of the best families of the land were almost irretrievably ruined in the final crash. From this the public morality grew worse and worse. More gaming-houses than ever were opened. Gambling was the rule at all times and on all occasions. A gamester returning from the funeral of his brother, where he had exhibited signs of profound grief, played and won a considerable sum of money. "How do you feel now?" he was asked. "A little better," was the pathetic answer. "This consoles me." Horace Walpole, who visited Paris in 1739, gives his impressions of what he saw there in a letter to Richard West. "You would not easily guess their notions of honour. I will tell you one. It is very dishonourable for any gentleman not to be in the army, or in the King's service, as they call it; and it is no dishonour to keep public gaming-houses. There are at least one hundred and fifty of the first quality in Paris who live by it. You may go into their houses at all hours of the night, and find hazard, pharaoh, &c. "The men who keep the hazard table at the Duke de Gesvres' pay him twelve guineas each night for the privilege. Even the princesses of the blood are dirty enough to have shares in the banks kept at their houses." The reign of Louis XVI. saw no improvement. All kinds of licentiousness, and gambling triumphant over all, grew to their height in that mad time, so soon to be followed by the fiercest Revolution on record. The King himself was the 'reverse of a profligate, and he hated gambling. Marie Antoinette, on the other hand, in this as in many other matters, completely counteracted her husband's good example. During the minority of Louis XV., an important character in the history of gambling and gamblers made his great debut. This was the famous Scotsman, John Law. He first gained notoriety by his extravagant play and his wonderful good luck. He was a "plunger," in the fullest sense of the word; and, what was better still, a successful plunger. Law had the skill to gain millions at play, and to escape being found out and denounced as a cheat. This man became The Revolution came, and things were, if Controller-General of France; started his gi- possible, worse. A gaming-house was opened gantic project, so well known to all Europe in every street; and, up to the time of the as the Mississippi scheme; turned the whole Directory, there were four thousand of these French nation-clergy and laity, peers and houses in full operation in Paris alone. The plebeians, statesmen and princes, not to notorious Fouché, minister of justice and mention women-into an army of stock- prince of detectives, derived an income of jobbers and gamblers; and finally, when the £128,000 a-year for licensing or privileging bubble burst and the universal ruin suc-gaming-houses. But Fouché had a double March 2, 1872.] ROUGE ET NOIR. object in his system. The "farmers" of the gaming houses, besides paying thus heavily for their "privileges," were compelled to hire and pay 120,000 people as croupiers or attendants at the gaming-table. Every one of these was a spy of Fouché. When Bonaparte took the reins of government in hand, his first intention was to crush the evil at once. Policy, however, modified his views; and, abandoning his original project, he determined on licensing them. And this arrangement continued till 1838, when, as we have mentioned, public gaming was prohibited by law. The last company which farmed the Parisian gaming-houses paid the Government £270,000 for the privilege. There were six houses: Frascati's, the Salons, and four in the Palais Royal. The daily average of players was 3,000, while 1,000 were generally refused admittance. The clear profit made in 1837, the year before the act of abolition, was £76,000 sterling. Of this sum, three-fourths were handed over to the city of Paris, leaving £19,000 for distribution among the members of the company. With such figures as these before us, we can- But while we have been speaking thus In a letter to the Hon. S. A. Conway, night to Brookes's, before Charles Fox and "Thus,' said Fox, 'should all usurpers be "He did still better; for he sent for his tradesmen, and paid them as far as the money would go.' A more extraordinary story by Walpole is the following: He informs Lady Ossory, in 1781—“I was diverted last night at Lady Lucan's. The moment I entered, she sat me down to were the other partners? The Archbishopess whist with Lady Bute; and who do you think of Canterbury and Mr. Gibbon." The Mr. Gibbon alluded to is, of course, The rage for gambling in this country Lady Lord Kenyon, referring to these ladies, I wish they If any prosecutions of said, on the 9th of May, 1796:-"They think they are too great for the law. could be punished. the parties are justly convicted, whatever this sort are fairly brought before me, and be their rank or station in the country, though they should be the first ladies in the land, they shall certainly exhibit themselves in the pillory." In the next year an opportunity occurred for making true his threats. At the beginning of March, 1797, the Lady Buckinghamshire, Lady Luttrell, Mrs. indicted on an information for keeping faro Sturt, and other personages of rank, were tables in their houses. They were convicted, but were only subjected to heavy fines. The witnesses were recent servants of her lady "Gummer, this won't do, and sha'n't go Beyond our income I won't live. Why not have one or two gentlemen to partial board and lodge? That would pretty nigh make the two ends meet. Besides, Tom, partial board in a genteel family often gets girls off." "We might also have a lady or two." "No, Gummer none of your fussy, grumbling marms or minxes come under my roof. Depend upon it, Matilda Gummer will never be the slave of her own prying, tread-you-down sex!" Next morning at breakfast, Nancy read an advertisement which she and Janet had composed, with the help of their mamma. "TO GENTLEMEN.-A professional, musical, and cheerful family, residing in a villa standing in its own grounds, in the most beautiful, salubrious, and genteel suburb of the metropolis, and conveniently accessible to the City, having a larger house than they require, and seeking society of refined taste and position, are willing to receive one or two gentlemen to partial board, on nominal terms. The highest references given and required. —Address 'Professional,' at Mutton's Library.' "There, pa, is not that capital?" asked Janet. "Who are our high references?" "Lor, pa-that is only a form.” "But, Matilda, we are not a professional family. I am not admitted." "Oh, Gummer, you are enough to make. a dead and dumb saint swear. I do believe you will find fault with your coffin, though you are put into the best that money can buy. Moreover, it is so nice of a father to be for ever pouring buckets of black frost ice-water over all the poor dear girls do. No, my dears. Put in that your father is a costermonger and your mother a charwoman, and your pa will be happy." "Yes, ma," said Janet; "and let us put in that we are poor, and take in boarders for the sake of their paltry money." "Pa, you will drive us into service," said Nancy. "Let the advertisement go as it is. I only spoke by way of argument." May be I am henpecked. Perhaps men who are lords at home would stop their crowing if they knew what was thought of them before their faces, and done behind their backs. It is better to be henpecked than hated and humbugged; and every married man is one or the other. Mrs. I was stirring my last cup of tea. Gummer, after dropping a piece of soda in the pot, was filling it up for the servants. Ring, ding, dong, dong, dong. Corcyra Villa has the loudest bell in the county; and postmen are friendly to bellhangers. In a minute, James brought in the letterbag. We did what we could to act up to a detached villa. When we were at Bow, we behaved according to the neighbourhood, and the girls rushed to the door to seize the letters. But that conduct would have been a kind of social felony in the Green Lanes. So we waited whilst James read the addresses and put the letters into the bag. The girls had read many fashionable novels, and thus learnt the habits and manners of the aristocracy. In high-life novels, the authors always talk of the letter-bag being brought in at breakfast; and we determined to have a letter-bag. We did not know where to buy one; and unfortunately these important things are not illustrated in high-life novels as they ought to be. But Mrs. Gummer "The nominal terms will be thought to is equal to any difficulty. She bought two mean next to nothing." "And, Gummer, what is two pounds a week, with washing extra, to a gentleman who is one, and not a pauper in broadcloth and kid gloves?" yards of stout holland, and made a smallsized clothes bag. The girls worked on it, in red wool, the words "Letter-bag," and it was fastened at the top by a yard of blue blind cord. I merely mention this to show March 2, 1872.] GUMMER'S FORTUNE. that, though Green Lanes' gentility snubbed The galus, we deserved better treatment. lery always stamp their feet and warm their hands when Shakspeare says it is better to deserve success than to command it. It is not my experience or philosophy. May be that I am wrong, but this is how I put it. It is not chance, but Providence, that governs affairs; and Providence, I take it, is too fair to favour anybody. What then? Everybody gets his deserts; and he who fails does not deserve success, and he who commands success deserves it. There is a world of misfortune seen in a lawyer's office, and I never met with a client going or gone to the bad who did not think himself unlucky; but when we look into affairs, we find he has been sowing troubles broad cast. Well, the letter-bag was brought in. But the event is too stupendous to be tacked on to the end of a chapter. I do not profess to be a genuine trained author, but I believe it is the correct business to keep the excited public in suspense. For, as Mrs. Gummer says whenever the dinner is behind, a little waiting whets the appetite. CHAPTER IV. THE SURPRISE. THE "Matilda, this is a lawyer's letter. What "May be our wicked runaway tenant wants to compromise; but I won't," said Mrs. Gummer. "Not impossible," I observed, as I was opening the letter. "Or," remarked Mrs. Gummer, "it is not a mile from a likely guess that some firm is offering you terms equal to your merits, and which you are never likely to get from those slave-grinding grabbers, Purrem & Mangles." I opened the letter, and read it. Then I Mrs. Gummer and the girls were scared. door relief and a back attic, don't take on "Pa," exclaimed Nancy, "tell us the worst. you. Frightening your poor persecuted "My dear," said I, "poor Joseph has-" "Well, Gummer, it's awful to be toma- a cousin is no nearer related to you than I swallowed the cup of tea, and then read "Bedford-row, March 2, 18"Thomas Gummer, Esq., &c., &c., &c. you that "SIR-It is our pleasure to inform with a letter from Messrs. Leopard & Sons, by the last Indian mail we were favoured solicitors, of Calcutta-we being their London agents-in which we are instructed to communicate to you important intelligence. A delay has occurred in consequence of your you that Mr. Joseph Gummer, merchant, of change of residence. We have to inform and that by his will he has left you the whole Calcutta, died on the first day of the year, to inform you that Messrs. Leopard & of his property. It is our further pleasure of your late lamented cousin, estimate the Sons, who were the professional advisers value of the property at £40,000. Perhaps you will favour us with an early call. Whilst esteemed relative, we congratulate you on condoling with you on the decease of your |