Baden does not suit you.' If these words are disregarded, there
follows a summary order--`You must leave Baden this very day, and

cross the frontiers of the Grand Duchy within twenty-four hours.'
Mr Sala, in his novel `Make your Game,'[74] has given a spirited

description of the gambling scenes at Baden.
[74] Originally published in the `Welcome Guest.'

Whilst I write there is exhibited at the Egyptian Hall, London,
Dore's magnificent picture of the _Tapis Vert_, or Life in

Baden-Baden, of which the following is an accurate description:--
`The _Tapis Vert_ is a moral, and at the same time an

exceedingly" target="_blank" title="ad.非常地，极度地">exceedingly clever, satire. It is illustrative of the life,
manners, and predilections and pursuits of a class of society

left hereafter to enjoy the manifold attractions of fashionable
watering-places, without the scourge that for so many years held

its immoral and degrading sway in their sumptuous halls.
`In one of these splendid salons the fashionable crowd is eagerly

pressing round an oblong table covered with green cloth (_le
tapis vert_), upon which piles of gold and bank-notes tell the

tale of "_noir perd et la couleur gagne_," and vice versa. The
principal group, upon which Dore has thrown one of his

powerful effects of light, is lifelike, and several of the actors
are at once recognized. Both croupiers are well-known

characters. There is much life and movement in the silent scene,
in which thousands of pounds change hands in a few seconds. To

the left of the croupier (dealer), who turns up the winning card,
sits a finely-dressed woman, who cares for little else but gold.

There is a remarkable expression of eagerness and curiosity upon
the countenance of the lady who comes next, and who endeavours,

with the assistance of her eye-glass, to find out the state of
affairs. The gentleman next to her is an inveterate

_blase_. The countenance of the old man reckoning up needs no
description. Near by stands a lady with a red feather in her

hat, and whose lace shawl alone is worth several hundred pounds--
for Dore made it. The two female figures to the left are

splendidly painted. The one who causes the other croupier to
turn round seems somewhat extravagantly dressed; but these

costumes have been frequently worn within the last two years both
at Baden and Hombourg. The old lady at the end of the table, to

the left, is a well-known habituee at both places. The
bustling and shuffling eagerness of the figures in the background

is exceedingly" target="_blank" title="ad.非常地，极度地">exceedingly well rendered.
`As a whole, the _Tapis Vert_ is a very fine illustration of real

life, as met with in most of the leading German watering-
places.'[75]

[75] `Illustrated Times.'
`At the present moment,' says another authority, writing more

than a year ago, `there are three very bold female gamblers at
Baden. One is the Russian Princess ----, who plays several hours

every day at _Rouge et Noir_, and sometimes makes what in our
money would be many hundreds, and at others goes empty away. She

wins calmly enough, but when luck is against her looks
anxious. The second is the wife of an Italian ex-minister, who

is well known both as an authoress and politician. She
patronizes _Roulette_, and at every turn of the wheel her money

passes on the board. She is a good gambler--smirking when she
wins, and smirking when she loses. She dresses as splendidly as

any of the dames of Paris. The other night she excited a flutter
among the ladies assembled in the salons of the "Conversation"

by appearing in a robe flaming red with an exaggerated train
which dragged its slow length along the floor. But the greatest

of the feminineplayers is the Leonie Leblanc. When she is at
the _Rouge et Noir_ table a larger crowd than usual is collected

to witness her operation. The stake she generally risks is 6000
francs (L240), which is the maximum allowed. Her chance is

changing: a few days back she won L4000 in one sitting; some
days later she lost about L2000, and was then reduced to the,

for her, indignity of playing for paltry sums--L20 or
thereabouts.'

Among the more recent chronicles, the _Figaro_ gives the
following account of the close of the campaign of a gaming hero,

M. Edgar de la Charme, who, for a number of days together,
never left the gaming-room without carrying off the sum of 24,000

francs.
`The day before yesterday, M. de la Charme, reflecting that there

must be an end even to the greatest run of luck, locked his
portmanteau, paid his bill, and took the road to the railway

station, accompanied by some of his friends. On reaching the
wicket he found it closed; there were still three-quarters of an

hour to pass before the departure of the train. "I will go and
play my parting game," he exclaimed, and, turning to the

coachman, bade him drive to the Kursaal. His friends surrounded
him, and held him back; he should not go, he would lose all his

winnings. But he was resolute, and soon reached the Casino,
where his travelling dress caused a stir of satisfaction among

the croupiers. He sat down at the _Trente-et-quarante_, broke
the bank in 20 minutes, got into his cab again, and seeing the

inspector of the tables walking to and fro under the arcades, he
said to him, in a tone of exquisitepoliteness" target="_blank" title="n.礼貌；文雅；温和">politeness, "I could not

think of going away without leaving you my P.P.C." '
SPA.

`The gambling houses of Spa are in the Redoute, where _Rouge et
Noir_ and _Roulette_ are carried on nearly from morning to night.

The profits of these establishments exceed L40,000 a year. In
former times they belonged to the Bishop of Liege, who was a

partner in the concern, and derived a considerablerevenue from
his share of the ill-gotten gains of the manager of the

establishment, and no gambling tables could be set up without his
permission.'[76]

[76] Murray's Handbook for Travellers on the Continent.
`The gambling in Spa is in a lower style than elsewhere. The

croupiers seem to be always on the look-out for cheating. You
never see here a pile of gold or bank notes on the table, as at

Hombourg or Wiesbaden, with the playersaying, "Cinquante louis
aux billet," "Cent-vingt louis a la masse," and the

winnings scrupulously paid, or the losings raked carefully away
from the heap. They do not allow that at Spa; there is an order

against it on the wall. They could not trust the people that
play, I suppose, and it is doubtful if the people could trust the

croupiers. The ball spins more slowly at _Roulette_--the
cards are dealt more gingerly at _Trente-et-quarante_ here than

elsewhere. Nothing must be done quickly, lest somebody on one
side or other should try to do somebody else. Altogether Spa is

not a pleasant place to play in, and as, moreover, the odds are
as great against you as at Ems, it is better to stick to the

promenade _de sept heures_ and the ball-room, and leave the two
tables alone. Outside it is cheery and full of life. The Queen

of the Belgians is here, the Duke of Aumale, and other nice
people. The breeze from the hills is always delicious; the

Promenade Meyerbeer as refreshing on a hot day as a draught of
iced water. But the denizens, male and female, of the _salons de

jeu_ are often obnoxious, and one wishes that the old Baden law
could be enforced against some of the gentler sex.

`By way of warning to any of your readers who propose to visit
the tables this summer, will you let me tell a little anecdote,

from personal experience, of one of these places--which one I had
perhaps better not say. I took a place at the Roulette table,

and had not staked more than once or twice, when two handsomely
dressed ladies placed themselves one on either side of me, and

commenced playing with the smallest coins allowed, wedging
me in rather unpleasantly close between them. At my third or

fourth stake I won on both the colour and a number, and my
neighbour on the right quietly swept up my coins from the colour