ezvous for
confirmed gamblers. The Salon des Etrangers was most gorgeously
furnished, provided with an excellent kitchen and wines, and was
conducted by the celebrated Marquis de Livry, who received the guests
and did the honours with a courtesy which made him famous throughout
Europe. The Marquis presented an extraordinary likeness to the Prince
Regent of England, who actually sent Lord Fife over to Paris to
ascertain this momentous fact. The play which took place in these
saloons was frequently of the most reckless character; large fortunes
were often lost, the losers disappearing, never more to be heard of.
Amongst the English habitues were the Hon. George T--, the late Henry
Baring, Lord Thanet, Tom Sowerby, Cuthbert, Mr. Steer, Henry Broadwood,
and Bob Arnold.

The Hon. George T--, who used to arrive from London with a very
considerable letter of credit expressly to try his luck at the Salon
des Etrangers, at length contrived to lose his last shilling at rouge
et noir. When he had lost everything he possessed in the world, he got
up and exclaimed, in an excited manner, "If I had Canova's Venus and
Adonis from Alton Towers, my uncle's country seat, it should be placed
on the rouge, for black has won fourteen times running!"

The late Henry Baring was more fortunate at hazard than his countryman,
but his love of gambling was the cause of his being excluded from the
banking establishment. Col. Sowerby, of the Guards, was one of the
most inveterate players in Paris; and, as is frequently the case with a
fair player, a considerable loser. But, perhaps, the most incurable
gamester amongst the English was Lord Thanet, whose income was not less
than 50,000L. a year, every farthing of which he lost at play.
Cuthbert dissipated the whole of his fortune in like manner. In fact,
I do not remember any instance where those who spent their time in this
den did not lose all they possessed.

The Marquis de L-- had a charming villa at Romainville, near Paris, to
which, on Sundays, he invited not only those gentlemen who were the
most prodigal patrons of his salon, but a number of ladies, who were
dancers and singers conspicuous at the opera; forming a society of the
strangest character, the male portion of which were bent on losing
their money, whilst the ladies were determined to get rid of whatever
virtue they might still have left. The dinners on these occasions were
supplied by the chef of the Salon des Etrangers, and we