When a heavy player arrives in the town its
uneasiness becomes excessive.  A short time
since, just before the commencement of the
evening séance of trente et quarante, H.R.H.
the Prince of Fatino, celebrated for the
breaking of banks, made his unexpected
appearance in the room, and caused a
consternation ludicrous to behold among the
gentlemen of the administration.  The
Prince of Fatino has an unpleasant way with
him—a bullying confidence in his own
fortune, trying to the nerves of every antagonist.
He seats himself directly over against the
croupier, who deals, and with his massive
head, massive person, and massive hands,
clenched always upon the table before him,
looks impregnable.  After winning a few
deals, he generally offers to play the bank
for any amount it may choose to stake against
him—an offer most respectfully declined, with
the excuse that the Society of Spürt strictly
confines itself to the fixed limit of three
thousand francs—one hundred and twenty
pounds.

Roulette, I before said, ranks as a minor
game; why so, it is hard to tell, inasmuch as
most people prefer it, and the advantage
taken by the bank is even greater than at
trente et quarante.  The roulette-table
consists of thirty-six numbers, namely, the
numbers from one to thirty-six inclusive, and two
zeros, which two zeros are the portion of the
bank.  One half of the numbers including a
zero are red, and the other half black.  The
bank not only has a grand advantage when
each zero wins, but when a player wins upon
a single number he is paid only thirty-five
times his original stake, although the odds
against him are of course thirty-seven to one;
if he wins on six numbers he only receives
five times his stake, instead of five and a
third; if upon twelve numbers, only double,
instead of twice and a sixth.  Thus the
pickings of the bank at roulette are greater
and more constant than at trente et quarante,
—in fact on the colours alone nearly double;
and this is the reason why roulette is played
for twelve hours during the day, whilst six
only are allowed to its more aristocratic
neighbour.  The number of deals—I call
always a coup a deal—played at roulette
average about one hundred and ten per
hour.

The duties of a croupier at the latter game
are exceedingly fatiguing, no less than twelve
croupiers being required for the service of
one table during the day.  Of these twelve
six are always in the room, although four
only officiate at the same time.  They are
most of them small tradesmen of the town,
and each receives ten francs a day, for his
service of six hours.  I told one of them that
the duty he was then engaged in must sensibly
affect the custom of his shop, because, when
people lose their money at roulette, they
usually stint their tradespeople; he replied
"Very true, monsieur, but one cannot win
at both ends, and this money at least is
certain."

Whilst standing near the table a short time
since, I overheard a young Frenchman giving
advice to a newly-arrived friend, concerning
the manner in which he should play. "Mon
cher," said he, "I begin by winning three
hundred francs of the bank's money, and
then," &c., proceeding to give him instructions
as to playing some system that required
that capital to commence with; but forgetting
to tell him the most important part,
namely, how to win the three hundred francs.
Soon afterwards I observed the friend leaving
the room in a very crestfallen manner,
evidently not having known how to begin.

Curious instances of the irregularity of
chance are constantly occurring.  Not
unfrequently the same number will win five or
six times in succession, to the exclusion of the
remaining thirty-seven; twelve numbers win
twelve or thirteen times in succession, to the
exclusion of the remaining twenty-six; whilst
red or black may win seventeen or eighteen
times, one to the exclusion of the other,
although the chances of each are obviously
equal.

It is somewhat remarkable that generally
speaking, where so much money is won and
lost, no distressing scenes take place in the
rooms; the players win and lose with an
absence of expressed emotion very
marvellous.  One of the most curious features in
the life of towns like Spürt, is the existence
of professional players,—professors of gaming.
These men, commonly the dirtiest and
shabbiest-looking members of the community,
have entire faith in their own ways of playing,
and are convinced that nothing but
the want of capital prevents them from
making a large fortune at the tables.  Sometimes
they sell systems, or martingales, to
new-comers, and will even play, themselves, for
a consideration, with the capital of other men,
A play of that kind never lasts more than
three days; the capital becomes, of course,
the property of the bank; and that happens,
of course owing to the occurrence of some
event which the professor declares never
occurred before within the memory of man.

The yearly profits of the Gaming Society of
Spürt average about eighteen thousand
pounds, one half of which is taken by the
government.  From the total amount,
however, twelve per cent is deducted for the
town charities.

The cost of a share in the society is a
thousand francs, and the dividend is usually
about twenty-six per cent.  That, in the eyes
of the townspeople of Spürt, is the moral of
the whole affair.

Next Week will be Published the TENTH PORTION of
NORTH AND SOUTH.
By the AUTHOR OF MARY BARTON