the last century, actually slept with a blunderbuss and a pair of

pistols at her side, to protect her Faro bank.



On the 11th of March, 1797, her Ladyship, together with Lady

E. Lutterell and a Mrs Sturt, were convicted at the Marlborough



Street Police-court, in the penalty of L50, for playing at the

game of Faro; and Henry Martindale was convicted in the sum of



L200, for keeping the Faro table at Lady Buckinghamshire's.

The witnesses had been servants of her Ladyship, recently



discharged on account of a late extraordinary loss of 500 guineas

from her Ladyship's house, belonging to the Faro bank.[103]



[103] The case is reported in the Times of March 13th, 1797.

One cannot help being struck with the appearance of the Times



newspaper at that period--70 years ago. It was printed on one

small sheet, about equal to a single page of the present issue,



and contained four pages, two of which were advertisements, while

the others gave only a short summary of news--no leader at all.



In the same year, the croupier at the Countess of

Buckinghamshire's one night announced the unaccountable



disappearance of the cash-box of the Faro bank. All eyes were

turned towards her Ladyship. Mrs Concannon said she once lost a



gold snuff-box from the table, while she went to speak to Lord

C--. Another lady said she lost her purse there last winter.



And a story was told that a certain lady had taken, _BY

MISTAKE_, a cloak which did not belong to her, at a rout



given by the Countess of ----. Unfortunately a discovery of the

cloak was made, and when the servant knocked at the door to



demand it, some very valuable lace which it was trimmed with had

been taken off. Some surmised that the lady who stole the cloak



might also have stolen the Faro bank cash-box.

Soon after, the same Martindale, who had kept the Faro bank at



Lady Buckinghamshire's, became a bankrupt, and his debts amounted

to L328,000, besides `debts of honour,' which were struck off



to the amount of L150,000. His failure is said to have been

owing to misplaced confidence in a subordinate, who robbed him of



thousands. The first suspicion was occasioned by his purchasing

an estate of L500 a year; but other purchases followed to a



considerable extent; and it was soon discovered that the Faro

bank had been robbed sometimes of 2000 guineas a week! On the



14th of April, 1798, other arrears, to a large amount, were

submitted to, and rejected by, the Commissioners in Bankruptcy,



who declared a first dividend of one shilling and five-pence in

the pound.[104]



[104] Seymour Harcourt, _Gaming Calendar._

This chapter cannot be better concluded than with quoting



the _Epilogue_ of `The Oxonian in Town,' 1767, humorously

painting some of the mischiefs of gambling, and expressly



addressed to the ladies:--

`Lo! next, to my prophetic eye there starts



A beauteous gamestress in the Queen of Hearts.

The cards are dealt, the fatal pool is lost,



And all her golden hopes for ever cross'd.

Yet still this card-devoted fair I view--



Whate'er her luck, to "_honour_" ever true.

So tender there,--if debts crowd fast upon her,



She'll pawn her "virtue" to preserve her "honour."

Thrice happy were my art, could I foretell,



Cards would be soon abjured by every belle!

Yet, I pronounce, who cherish still the vice,



And the pale vigils keep of cards and dice--

'Twill in their charms sad havoc make, ye fair!



Which "rouge" in vain shall labour to repair.

Beauties will grow mere hags, toasts wither'd jades,



Frightful and ugly as--the _QUEEN OF SPADES_.'

CHAPTER XI.



GAMBLING POETS, SAVANTS, PHILOSOPHERS, WITS, AND STATESMEN.

Perhaps the stern moralist who may have turned over these pages



has frowned at the facts of the preceding chapter. If so, I know

not what he will do at those which I am about to record.



If it may be said that gamesters must be madmen, or rogues, how

• admiration [,ædmə´reiʃən] n.赞赏，钦佩 (初中英语单词)


• delicate [´delikət] a.精美的；微妙的 (初中英语单词)


• philosophy [fi´lɔsəfi] n.哲学；人生观 (初中英语单词)


• coldness [´kəuldnis] n.寒冷；冷淡 (初中英语单词)


• shield [ʃi:ld] n.盾牌；防御 v.保护 (初中英语单词)


• election [i´lekʃən] n.选举；选择 (初中英语单词)


• comparison [kəm´pærisən] n.比较；对照；比喻 (初中英语单词)


• charming [´tʃɑ:miŋ] a.可爱的；极好的 (初中英语单词)


• character [´kæriktə] n.特性；性质；人物；字 (初中英语单词)


• beginning [bi´giniŋ] n.开始，开端；起源 (初中英语单词)


• reasonable [´rizənəbəl] a.合理的；有理智的 (初中英语单词)


• flourish [´flʌriʃ] v.茂盛；挥动 n.挥舞 (初中英语单词)


• peculiar [pi´kju:liə] a.特有的；奇异的 (初中英语单词)


• countenance [´kauntinəns] n.面部表情；脸色；面容 (初中英语单词)


• anxiety [æŋ´zaiəti] n.挂念；渴望；焦虑的事 (初中英语单词)


• withdraw [wið´drɔ:] v.收回；撤销；撤退 (初中英语单词)


• anxious [´æŋkʃəs] a.担忧的；渴望的 (初中英语单词)


• conceal [kən´si:l] vt.藏；隐瞒 (初中英语单词)


• endeavour [in´devə] n.&v.努力，试图，尽力 (初中英语单词)


• instrument [´instrumənt] n.仪器；手段；乐器 (初中英语单词)


• western [´westən] a.西的；西方的 (初中英语单词)


• actually [´æktʃuəli] ad.事实上；实际上 (初中英语单词)


• protection [prə´tekʃən] n.警戒；护照；通行证 (初中英语单词)


• establishment [i´stæbliʃmənt] n.建(成)立；研究所 (初中英语单词)


• privilege [´privilidʒ] n.特权 vt.给….特权 (初中英语单词)


• writing [´raitiŋ] n.书写；写作；书法 (初中英语单词)


• assembly [ə´sembli] n.集会；装配；与会者 (初中英语单词)


• frequent [´fri:kwənt] a.常见的，频繁的 (初中英语单词)


• management [´mænidʒmənt] n.管理；处理；经营 (初中英语单词)


• evident [´evidənt] a.明显的，明白的 (初中英语单词)


• account [ə´kaunt] vi.说明 vt.认为 n.帐目 (初中英语单词)


• extraordinary [ik´strɔ:dinəri] a.非常的；额外的 (初中英语单词)


• valuable [´væljuəbəl, -jubəl] a.有价值的，贵重的 (初中英语单词)


• stolen [´stəulən] steal 的过去分词 (初中英语单词)


• amount [ə´maunt] n.总数；数量 v.合计 (初中英语单词)


• failure [´feiljə] n.失败；衰竭；破产 (初中英语单词)


• suspicion [sə´spiʃən] n.怀(猜)疑；嫌疑 (初中英语单词)


• estate [i´steit] n.财产；庄园；等级 (初中英语单词)


• extent [ik´stent] n.长度；程度；范围 (初中英语单词)


• preserve [pri´zə:v] v.保藏 n.保藏物 (初中英语单词)


• personally [´pə:sənəli] ad.亲自；就个人来说 (高中英语单词)


• radiant [´reidiənt] a.发光的 n.光源(体) (高中英语单词)


• specially [´speʃəli] ad.专门地；特别地 (高中英语单词)


• studied [´stʌdid] a.故意的；有计划的 (高中英语单词)


• regularly [´regjuləli] ad.有规律地；经常地 (高中英语单词)


• elegant [´eligənt] a.文雅的；优美的 (高中英语单词)


• bonnet [´bɔnit] n.无边女帽；童帽 (高中英语单词)


• agitation [,ædʒi´teiʃən] n.鼓动；摇动；焦虑 (高中英语单词)


• indifference [in´difrəns] n.冷淡；无足轻重 (高中英语单词)


• withdrew [wið´dru:] withdraw的过去式 (高中英语单词)


• mistaken [mis´teikən] mistake的过去分词 (高中英语单词)


• belgium [´beldʒəm] n.比利时 (高中英语单词)


• excessive [ik´sesiv] a.过分的；极端的 (高中英语单词)


• inferior [in´fiəriə] n.下级的 n.下级；晚辈 (高中英语单词)


• housekeeper [´haus,ki:pə] n.主妇，女管家 (高中英语单词)


• proceeding [prə´si:diŋ] n.程序；进程；行动 (高中英语单词)


• subsequently [´sʌbsikwəntli] a.其次，接着 (高中英语单词)


• penalty [´penlti] n.刑罚；惩罚；障碍 (高中英语单词)


• unfortunately [ʌn´fɔ:tʃunitli] ad.不幸；不朽；可惜 (高中英语单词)


• shilling [´ʃiliŋ] n.先令 (高中英语单词)


• cherish [´tʃeriʃ] vt.珍爱；怀有(感情) (高中英语单词)


• unequal [ʌn´i:kwəl] a.不平等的；不同的 (英语四级单词)


• partisan [,pɑ:ti´zæn] n.党人 a.有偏袒的 (英语四级单词)


• apprehend [,æpri´hend] vt.理解；忧虑；逮捕 (英语四级单词)


• speedily [´spi:dili] ad.迅速地 (英语四级单词)


• demeanour [di´mi:nə] n.行为；举止；态度 (英语四级单词)


• blessed [´blesid] a.享福的；神圣的 (英语四级单词)


• drawing [´drɔ:iŋ] n.画图；制图；图样 (英语四级单词)


• weariness [wiərinis] n.疲倦；厌烦 (英语四级单词)


• notorious [nəu´tɔ:riəs] a.臭名昭著的 (英语四级单词)


• summary [´sʌməri] a.&n.摘要(的) (英语四级单词)


• bankrupt [´bæŋkrʌpt] n.破产者 a.破产了的 (英语四级单词)


• subordinate [sə´bɔ:dinət] a.次的，附属的 n.部属 (英语四级单词)


• dividend [´dividənd, -dend] n.被除数；股息 (英语四级单词)


• preceding [pri(:)´si:diŋ] a.在先的；前面的 (英语四级单词)


• softness [´sɔftnis] n.柔软；柔和；温柔 (英语六级单词)


• blemish [´blemiʃ] n.缺点；污点 vt.沾污 (英语六级单词)


• exquisitely [´ekswizit] ad.精巧地，优美地 (英语六级单词)


• originality [ə,ridʒi´næliti] n.独创性；创举；新颖 (英语六级单词)


• pernicious [pə´niʃəs] a.有害的；有毒的；致命的 (英语六级单词)


• brilliantly [´briljəntli] ad.灿烂地；杰出地 (英语六级单词)


• expressive [ik´spresiv] a.有表现力的 (英语六级单词)


• august [ɔ:´gʌst] a.尊严的；威严的 (英语六级单词)


• unquestionably [ʌn´kwestʃənəbli] ad.当然地，无可非议地 (英语六级单词)


• assured [ə´ʃuəd] a.确实的 n.被保险人 (英语六级单词)


• intrusion [in´tru:ʒən] n.侵入；打扰；强加 (英语六级单词)


• deceitful [di´si:tful] a.欺骗的，骗人的 (英语六级单词)


• prosecution [,prɔsi´kju:ʃən] n.彻底实行；检举 (英语六级单词)


• countess [´kauntis] n.伯爵夫人；女伯爵 (英语六级单词)


• prophetic [prə´fetik] a.预言(家)的；预示的 (英语六级单词)


• beauteous [´bju:tiəs] a.美的，美丽的 (英语六级单词)