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The Gaming Table-Vol.2-Part9_Andrew Steinmetz(1816-1877)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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the fellows produced loaded dice, and the gentleman lost to the



amount of L1800! This brought him to his senses--as well it

might. He then invented an excuse for not paying that sum, by



saying that he was under an agreement with his partner not to

draw for a larger amount than L300 for his private account--and



gave them a draft for that amount, promising the remainder at a

future day. This promise, however, he did not attend to, not



feeling himself bound by such a villainous transaction,

especially after giving them so much. But the robbers found out



who he was and his residence, and had the audacity to go, armed

with bludgeons, and attack him publicly on his own premises, in



the presence of those employed there, demanding payment of their

nefarious 'debt of honour,' and threatening him, if he did not



pay, that he should fight!

This exposure had such an effect on his feelings that he made an



excuse to retire--did so--and blew out his brains with a pistol!

This rash act was the more to be lamented because it prevented



the bringing to condign punishment, the plundering villains who

were the cause of it.[16]



[16] Annual Register, vol. lviii.

OTHER INSTANCES.



A gallant Dutch officer, after having lost a splendid fortune not

long since (1823) in a gambling house at Aix-la-Chapelle, shot



himself. A Russian general, also, of immensewealth, terminated

his existence in the same manner and for the same cause. More



recently, a young Englishman, who lost the whole of an immense

fortune by gambling at Paris, quitted this world by stabbing



himself in the neck with a fork. A short time previously another

Englishman, whose birth was as high as his wealth had been



considerable, blew his brains out in the Palais Royal, after

having literally lost his last shilling. Finally, an unfortunate



printer at Paris, who had a wife and five children, finished his

earthlycareer for the same cause, by suffocating himself with



the fumes of charcoal; he said, in his farewell note to his

unhappy wife--'Behold the effect of gaming!'[17]



[17] Ubi supra.

'IF I LOSE I SHALL COMMIT SUICIDE.'



A young man having gambled away his last shilling, solicited the

loan of a few pounds from one of the proprietors of the hell in



which he had been plundered. 'What security will you give me?'

asked the fellow. 'My word of honour,' was the reply. 'Your



word of honour! That's poor security, and won't do,' rejoined

the hellite; 'if you can pawn nothing better than that, you'll



get no money out of me.' 'Then you won't lend me a couple of

pounds?' 'Not without security,' was the reply. 'Why, surely,



you won't refuse me a couple of sovereigns, after having lost so

much?' 'I won't advance you a couple of shillings without



security.'

Still bent upon play, and greedy for the means to gratify his



passion, the unhappy man, as if struck by a sudden thought,

exclaimed--'I'll give you security--the clothes on my back are



quite new, and worth eight guineas; you shall have them as

security. Lend me two sovereigns on them.'



'Suppose you lose,' doggedly rejoined the other, 'I cannot strip

them off your back.' 'Don't trouble yourself on that head,'



replied the desperatewretch; 'if I lose I shall commit suicide,

which I have been meditating for some time, and you shall surely



have my clothes. I shall return to my lodgings before daylight,

in the most worn-out and worthless dressing-gown or great-coat



you can procure for me, leaving my clothes with you.'

The two sovereigns were advanced, and in ten or twelve minutes



were lost. The keeper of the table demanded the clothes, and the

unfortunate man stripped himself with the utmostcoolness of






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