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 exquisite
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 considerable revenue 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 player saying, "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