lectation in
reading the most exciting French novels, nor pleasure in seeing pretty
landscapes, nor appetite for dinner. The moment, however, that graceless
money was gone, equanimity was restored: Paul Feval and Eugene Sue began
to be terrifically interesting again; and the dinners at Noirbourg,
though by no means good culinary specimens, were perfectly sufficient
for my easy and tranquil mind. Lankin, who played only a lawyer's rubber
at whist, marked the salutary change in his friend's condition; and,
for my part, I hope and pray that every honest reader of this volume
who plays at M. Lenoir's table will lose every shilling of his winnings
before he goes away. Where are the gamblers whom we have read of? Where
are the card-players whom we can remember in our early days? At one
time almost every gentleman played, and there were whist-tables in every
lady's drawing-room. But trumps are going out along with numbers of
old-world institutions; and, before very long, a blackleg will be as
rare an animal as a knight in armor.

There was a little dwarfish, abortive, counter bank set up at Noirbourg
this year: but the gentlemen soon disagreed among themselves; and, let
us hope, were cut off in detail by the great Lenoir. And there was a
Frenchman at our inn who had won two Napoleons per day for the last six
weeks, and who had an infallible system, whereof he kindly offered to
communicate the secret for the consideration of a hundred louis; but
there came one fatal night when the poor Frenchman's system could
not make head against fortune, and her wheel went over him, and he
disappeared utterly.

With the early morning everybody rises and makes his or her appearance
at the Springs, where they partake of water with a wonderful energy and
perseverance. They say that people get to be fond of this water at last;
as to what tastes cannot men accustom themselves? I drank a couple of
glasses of an abominable sort of feeble salts in a state of very gentle
effervescence; but, though there was a very pretty girl who served it,
the drink was abominable, and it was a marvel to see the various topers,
who tossed off glass after glass, which the fair-haired little Hebe
delivered sparkling from the well.

Seeing my wry faces, old Captain Carver expostulated, with a jolly
twinkle of his eye, as he absorbed the contents of a sparkling crystal
beaker. "Pooh! take another glass, sir: you'll like it better and better
every day. It refreshes