t why did this conviction take such a hold upon
me at the time, and remain with me ever since? Previously, I had
thought of the idea, not as an occurrence which was ever likely to come
about, but as something which NEVER could come about.

The time was a quarter past eleven o'clock when I entered the Casino in
such a state of hope (though, at the same time, of agitation) as I had
never before experienced. In the gaming-rooms there were still a large
number of people, but not half as many as had been present in the
morning.

At eleven o'clock there usually remained behind only the real, the
desperate gamblers--persons for whom, at spas, there existed nothing
beyond roulette, and who went thither for that alone. These gamesters
took little note of what was going on around them, and were interested
in none of the appurtenances of the season, but played from morning
till night, and would have been ready to play through the night until
dawn had that been possible. As it was, they used to disperse
unwillingly when, at midnight, roulette came to an end. Likewise, as
soon as ever roulette was drawing to a close and the head croupier had
called "Les trois derniers coups," most of them were ready to stake on
the last three rounds all that they had in their pockets--and, for the
most part, lost it. For my own part I proceeded towards the table at
which the Grandmother had lately sat; and, since the crowd around it
was not very large, I soon obtained standing room among the ring of
gamblers, while directly in front of me, on the green cloth, I saw
marked the word "Passe."

"Passe" was a row of numbers from 19 to 36 inclusive; while a row of
numbers from 1 to 18 inclusive was known as "Manque." But what had that
to do with me? I had not noticed--I had not so much as heard the
numbers upon which the previous coup had fallen, and so took no
bearings when I began to play, as, in my place, any SYSTEMATIC gambler
would have done. No, I merely extended my stock of twenty ten-gulden
pieces, and threw them down upon the space "Passe" which happened to be
confronting me.

"Vingt-deux!" called the croupier.

I had won! I staked upon the same again--both my original stake and my
winnings.

"Trente-et-un!" called the croupier.

Again I had won, and was now in possession of eighty ten-gulden pieces.
Next, I moved the whole eighty on to twelve middle numbers (a stake
which, if successful, would bring me in a triple profit, but also
invo