purpose of renewing the enterprise on a very much larger scale.
He would not be able till Christmas to go out to Monte Carlo himself,
and for several reasons he desired to remain at first in the background;
but the capital in question would, he said, include a sum sufficient to
defray the expenses of a few suitable friends, who would set to work
meanwhile, and be entitled, as a business matter, to a share of the
eventual profits. The coadjutors whom he had in view were myself, the
late Lord Greenock, Charles Bulpett, and Charles Edward Jerningham.
Moreover, as everything would depend on a correct calculation of the
stakes--the amount of which at each coup would vary with the results of
the coups preceding--and as this calculation would often be extremely
complicated, and have in every case to be made with extreme rapidity, a
good deal of preliminary practice on the part of the intending players
would be necessary. Would this little group of players be, as he hoped,
forthcoming? I still regarded the project as something of the wildcat
kind; but I was struck by the undoubted success of Beckett's own
experiments, actual and theoretical, so far; and, as the four players
would at all events lose nothing, even if they gained nothing, by
renewing them, I and the three others at last consented to take part in
the venture.

As soon, therefore, as the London season was over we began our
preparations, which would necessarily be somewhat lengthy. From the
beginning of August up to the end of October we met again and again at
Beckett's house in Yorkshire, our proceedings being shrouded in
serio-comic secrecy. In order that we might perfect ourselves in the use
of our mathematical weapons, each day after breakfast the dining-room
table was cleared and covered with a large green cloth divided into
numbered spaces, like the green roulette board at Monte Carlo. In the
middle of this was placed a large roulette. Rakes were provided of the
true Monte Carlo pattern. One of us played the part of croupier, while
to each of the others was allotted a certain number of counters
indistinguishable in aspect from twenty-franc gold pieces. Each of us
made his own calculations on cards provided for the purpose; each day we
played solemnly for four hours on end, and then examined the results. We
sometimes varied this routine by taking one of the Monte Carlo records,
our croupier not turning the wheel, but calling out the numbers or
colors seriatim wh