ole
night, and were exactly equal in dexterity, both being unconscious of
the dishonest practices of each other; and the result was that each got
up from the table with the same amount of money as he had when he sat
down. The cheats cordially shook hands, apparently much gratified that
they had at length ascertained how it had happened that neither could
pluck the other.

CHAPTER VI. THE GAMING CLUBS.

On the subject of Clubs Mr Cunningham in his 'Clubs of London,' and Mr
Timbs in his 'Club Life in London,' have said pretty well everything
that we want to know, and by their help, and that of other writers, I
shall endeavour to give an account of the gambling carried on in such
places.

1. ALMACK'S.

'The gaming at Almack's,' writes Walpole to Horace Mann, 'which has
taken the pas of White's, is worthy of the decline of our empire, or
commonwealth, which you please. The young men of the age lose ten,
fifteen, twenty thousand pounds in an evening there. Lord Stavordale,
not one-and-twenty, lost L11,000 there last Tuesday, but recovered it
by one great hand at Hazard. He swore a great oath--"Now, if I had been
playing DEEP I might have won millions!" His cousin, Charles Fox, shines
equally here and in the House of Commons.'

Among the rules of the establishment, it was ordered 'that every person
playing at the twenty-guinea table do not keep less than twenty guineas
before him,' and 'that every person playing at the new guinea table do
keep fifty guineas before him.' That the play ran high may be inferred
from a note against the name of Mr Thynne, in the Club-books:--'Mr
Thynne having won ONLY 12,000 guineas during the last two months,
retired in disgust, March 21st, 1772.' Indeed, the play was unusually
high--for rouleaus of L50 each, and generally there was L10,000
in specie on the table. The gamesters began by pulling off their
embroidered clothes, and putting on frieze great coats, or turned their
coats inside out for luck! They put on pieces of leather (such as are
worn by footmen when they clean knives) to save their laced ruffles;
and to guard their eyes from the light, and to keep their hair in order,
wore high-crowned straw hats with broad brims adorned with flowers and
ribbons; they also wore masks to conceal their emotions when they played
at quinz.(35) Each gamester had a small neat stand by him, to hold his
tea, or a wooden bowl with an edge of ormolu, to hold the rouleaus of
guineas.

(35) Quinze