ich he loses on a horse-race?' Crockford replied--'I think most
certainly he would honourably be bound to pay it.'--'Do you think that
if the loser of a bet on a game at Hazard had no charge to make of any
kind of unfairness, and he were to commence an action to recover that
money back again, he would lay himself open to a charge in the world of
having acted dishonourably?' The old gambler's reply was most emphatic,
overwhelming, indignant--'I should take all the pains I could to avoid
such a man.'

If this evidence was not satisfactory, it was, at any rate, very
characteristic.

A few interesting facts came out before the parliamentary committee on
Gaming, in 1844, respecting Crockford's.

It was said that Crockford gave up the business in 1840, because there
were no more very high players visiting his house.

'A number of persons,' according to the admission of the Honourable
Frederick Byng, 'who were born to very large properties, were very
nearly ruined at Crockford's.'

The sums won on the turf were certainly larger than those won by players
at Crockford's; a man might lose L20,000 in one or more bets, to one or
more persons; but against this he might have won an equivalent amount in
small sums from 200 or more persons.(40)

(40) This is not very clearly put, but the meaning is that much more
money was lost at Crockford's than on the turf.

Some years previously to Crockford's retirement, it is said that he
found the debts so bad that he was obliged to leave off his custom of
paying cheques; and said he would cancel all previous debts, but that in
future gentlemen would have to pay with money.

He made them play for money instead of with counters, in consequence of
the large sums that were owing to him upon those counters.

8. THE TRAVELLERS' CLUB,

next the Athenaeum in Pall Mall, originated soon after the peace
of 1814, in a suggestion of the late Lord Londonderry, then Lord
Castlereagh, for the resort of gentlemen who had resided or travelled
abroad, as well as with a view to the accommodation of foreigners, who,
when properly recommended, receive an invitation for the period of their
stay.(41) Here Prince Talleyrand was fond of a game at Whist. With all
the advantage of his great imperturbability of face, he is said to have
been an indifferent player.

(41) Quarterly Review, No. cx. p. 481.

Rule 10 of the club directs, 'that no dice and no game of hazard be
allowed in the rooms of the club,