They have learnt to their cost that these
insatiable birds of prey are invariably met with
wherever money is lying on a card-table. And
how are they to be recognised? There, lies
the difficulty; for these heroes of the criminal
courts are more adroit than ever. Taken
collectively, the Greeks do not offer any type to
seize; it is far from easy to sketch their
physiognomy, so numerous and varied is the species.

The Greek of high life is without contradiction
the sharpest, the most adroit, and the ablest
member of his intelligent family; he is a master
of arts in the science of making dupes. This
Greek, in general, moves in the best society;
his dress and manners are unexceptional. If he
do not shine in conversation, it is because, in
the first place, he desires to eclipse nobody;
secondly, because he reserves his talents for the
execution of his own little plans. He makes
light of accomplishments, despising them rather
than not; on the other hand, he sets a high
value on qualities serviceable in his profession.
For instance, whether it be a gift of nature or
the result of study, he possesses to a high
degree that delicate and ready perception, that
exquisite tact, and above all, that marvellous
power of appreciation, which is mentioned in
the "Confidences."

All Greeks take advantage of the slightest
difference that cards present, to render fortune
favourable. It would hardly seem credible that
a new pack, just taken out of its envelope,
should be in a condition to assist a practised
hand in distinguishing the court cards from the
low ones; but the feat is especially possible
with a pack that has been kept in a place which
is not perfectly dry. The Greek, as he is dealing
the cards, presses the pack firmly with his
left thumb, as if for the purpose of detaching
the upper cards, and causing them to slide
towards his right hand. Under these
circumstances, the low cards slip forward more readily
than the court-cards.

The reason is this: to give a lustre to the
colouring of the cards, gum is employed. Now, that
substance, being very hygrometic, easily attracts
moisture and becomes slightly adhesive. In the
present case, the court-cards having a larger
coloured surface than the low cards, offer a greater
amount of resistance. This trick is particularly
employed by the Greeks of high life, who
execute it with an incredible delicacy of touch,
which they maintain by wearing gloves at all
times when not engaged in play. Some even
rub the tips of their lingers with pumice-stone,
or dip them in certain acids, which gives to the
epidermis an extreme sensibility. Greeks of an
inferior grade make use of packs prepared, so as
to render these effects more sensible. They rub
the court-cards with a very thin layer of soap,
while the low cards are dusted with very finely-
powdered rosin.

When the Greek of good society is engaged
with his victims, although he may seem to keep
his eyes fixed on his own proper cards, he may
be caught directing stolen glances about, to take
note of what is passing around him. From the
impression produced when the hands are taken up,
and by the manner of sorting them, he is quite
competent to divine the quality of the cards of
each of his adversaries. As a physiognomist, he
would completely throw into the background
the ablest disciple of Lavater. In his presence,
it is of no use to wrap yourself up in a cold
indifference; from the slightest motion of the
fibres of your face, from the most imperceptible
contraction of your features, he discovers the
secret impressions of your mind. These
delicate appreciations, so useful for his own
perfidious manœuvres, are of equal service in
ascertaining the degree of confidence which he
himself inspires.

The Greek of high life plays all games with
the same perfection. The theories and
probabilities of games of chance, so ably described
by Van Tenac, are for him only elementary
principles, which he handles with rare intelligence.
To these eminent intellectual qualities,
he adds a profound knowledge of the most
refined legerdemain; he has no superior in executing
the sharper's three main masterstrokes—faire
filer la carte, sauter la coupe, enlever or poser des
portées. These important principles of swindling
are elevated by his skill, to the dignity of the
marvellous. Gifted with a keen eyesight, after
the cards have passed in review before him
several times, he is able to recognise not a few
of them. One will be the least in the world
darker in hue; another will have, on such or
such a part, a spot or stain, some slight
imperfection which cannot be avoided by the most
careful manufacture, and which no one else
would think of noticing. In default of such
marks, the Greek, conscious of his tactic powers,
will render cards recognisable by a slight notch
on the edge made with his nail, or impressed
with the inner portion of a finger-ring, skilfully
contrived for the purpose. These cards once
known, he can either keep them himself or give
them to his adversaries, as best suits his
interest.

During the summer, the Corinthian Greek
leaves town to drink the waters. He has no
objection to the celebrated and brilliant oasis
which figures on the map as Baden-Baden.
There, thanks to the combined wealth and blindness
of his adversaries, he pockets sufficient
gains to lead the ostentatious life of a nabob.
The majority of these tip-top sharpers come to
a wretched end; a few retire into private
life, and drag on an existence of remorse and
fear, which M. Ancelot has so well described in
his novel Une Fortune Mystérieuse.

A couple of these gentry, Andréas, a middle-
aged man, of great ability and experience, and
Raymond, a showy young man, otherwise known
as the Marquis, had invaded Boulogne-Sur-Mer,
and made it the scene of their manœuvres. The
company there, was rich and gay; the harvest
abundant. At the same time their margin was
considerably reduced by the share allotted to
one Achille Chauvignac, a local swindler, who
played the part of jackal and decoy-duck. They
determined, therefore, to leave him to get on