the gambler-第17部分

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families）；　pressed　closer　forward　towards　the　table；　in　order
to　watch　the　old　lady　from　among　the　ranks　of　the　gamblers。　Many
a　lorgnette　I　saw　turned　in　her　direction；　and　the　croupiers'
hopes　rose　high　that　such　an　eccentric　player　was　about　to
provide　them　with　something　out　of　the　common。　An　old　lady　of
seventy…five　years　who；　though　unable　to　walk；　desired　to　play
was　not　an　everyday　phenomenon。　I　too　pressed　forward　towards
the　table；　and　ranged　myself　by　the　Grandmother's　side；　while
Martha　and　Potapitch　remained　somewhere　in　the　background　among
the　crowd；　and　the　General；　Polina；　and　De　Griers；　with　Mlle。
Blanche；　also　remained　hidden　among　the　spectators。

At　first　the　old　lady　did　no　more　than　watch　the　gamblers；　and
ply　me；　in　a　half…whisper；　with　sharp…broken　questions　as　to　who
was　so…and…so。　Especially　did　her　favour　light　upon　a　very　young
man　who　was　plunging　heavily；　and　had　won　（so　it　was　whispered）
as　much　as　40；000　francs；　which　were　lying　before　him　on　the
table　in　a　heap　of　gold　and　bank…notes。　His　eyes　kept　flashing；
and　his　hands　shaking；　yet　all　the　while　he　staked　without　any
sort　of　calculationjust　what　came　to　his　hand；　as　he　kept
winning　and　winning；　and　raking　and　raking　in　his　gains。　Around
him　lacqueys　fussedplacing　chairs　just　behind　where　he　was
standing　and　clearing　the　spectators　from　his　vicinity；　so　that
he　should　have　more　room；　and　not　be　crowdedthe　whole　done；　of
course；　in　expectation　of　a　generous　largesse。　From　time　to　time
other　gamblers　would　hand　him　part　of　their　winningsbeing　glad
to　let　him　stake　for　them　as　much　as　his　hand　could　grasp；　while
beside　him　stood　a　Pole　in　a　state　of　violent；　but　respectful；
agitation；　who；　also　in　expectation　of　a　generous　largesse；　kept
whispering　to　him　at　intervals　（probably　telling　him　what　to
stake；　and　advising　and　directing　his　play）。　Yet　never　once　did
the　player　throw　him　a　glance　as　he　staked　and　staked；　and　raked
in　his　winnings。　Evidently；　the　player　in　question　was　dead　to
all　besides。

For　a　few　minutes　the　Grandmother　watched　him。

〃Go　and　tell　him；〃　suddenly　she　exclaimed　with　a　nudge　at　my
elbow；　〃go　and　tell　him　to　stop；　and　to　take　his　money　with
him；　and　go　home。　Presently　he　will　be　losingyes；　losing
everything　that　he　has　now　won。〃　She　seemed　almost　breathless
with　excitement。

〃Where　is　Potapitch？〃　she　continued。　〃Send　Potapitch　to　speak
to　him。　No；　YOU　must　tell　him；　you　must　tell　him；〃here　she
nudged　me　again〃for　I　have　not　the　least　notion　where
Potapitch　is。　Sortez；　sortez；〃　she　shouted　to　the　young　man；
until　I　leant　over　in　her　direction　and　whispered　in　her　ear
that　no　shouting　was　allowed；　nor　even　loud　speaking；　since　to
do　so　disturbed　the　calculations　of　the　players；　and　might　lead
to　our　being　ejected。

〃How　provoking！〃　she　retorted。　〃Then　the　young　man　is　done
for！　I　suppose　he　WISHES　to　be　ruined。　Yet　I　could　not　bear　to
see　him　have　to　return　it　all。　What　a　fool　the　fellow　is！〃　and
the　old　lady　turned　sharply　away。

On　the　left；　among　the　players　at　the　other　half　of　the　table；　a
young　lady　was　playing；　with；　beside　her；　a　dwarf。　Who　the　dwarf
may　have　beenwhether　a　relative　or　a　person　whom　she　took　with
her　to　act　as　a　foilI　do　not　know；　but　I　had　noticed　her　there
on　previous　occasions；　since；　everyday；　she　entered　the　Casino
at　one　o'clock　precisely；　and　departed　at　twothus　playing　for
exactly　one　hour。　Being　well…known　to　the　attendants；　she　always
had　a　seat　provided　for　her；　and；　taking　some　gold　and　a　few
thousand…franc　notes　out　of　her　pocketwould　begin　quietly；
coldly；　and　after　much　calculation；　to　stake；　and　mark　down　the
figures　in　pencil　on　a　paper；　as　though　striving　to　work　out　a
system　according　to　which；　at　given　moments；　the　odds　might
group　themselves。　Always　she　staked　large　coins；　and　either　lost
or　won　one；　two；　or　three　thousand　francs　a　day；　but　not　more；
after　which　she　would　depart。　The　Grandmother　took　a　long　look
at　her。

〃THAT　woman　is　not　losing；〃　she　said。　〃To　whom　does　she
belong？　Do　you　know　her？　Who　is　she？〃

〃She　is；　I　believe；　a　Frenchwoman；〃　I　replied。

〃Ah！　A　bird　of　passage；　evidently。　Besides；　I　can　see　that　she
has　her　shoes　polished。　Now；　explain　to　me　the　meaning　of　each
round　in　the　game；　and　the　way　in　which　one　ought　to　stake。〃

Upon　this　I　set　myself　to　explain　the　meaning　of　all　the
combinationsof　〃rouge　et　noir；〃　of　〃pair　et　impair；〃　of　
〃manque　et　passe；〃　with；　lastly；　the　different　values　in　the
system　of　numbers。　The　Grandmother　listened　attentively；　took
notes；　put　questions　in　various　forms；　and　laid　the　whole　thing
to　heart。　Indeed；　since　an　example　of　each　system　of　stakes　kept
constantly　occurring；　a　great　deal　of　information　could　be
assimilated　with　ease　and　celerity。　The　Grandmother　was　vastly
pleased。

〃But　what　is　zero？〃　she　inquired。　〃Just　now　I　heard　the
flaxen…haired　croupier　call　out　'zero！'　And　why　does　he　keep
raking　in　all　the　money　that　is　on　the　table？　To　think　that　he
should　grab　the　whole　pile　for　himself！　What　does　zero　mean？〃

〃Zero　is　what　the　bank　takes　for　itself。　If　the　wheel　stops　at
that　figure；　everything　lying　on　the　table　becomes　the　absolute
property　of　the　bank。　Also；　whenever　the　wheel　has　begun　to
turn；　the　bank　ceases　to　pay　out　anything。〃

〃Then　I　should　receive　nothing　if　I　were　staking？〃

〃No；　unless　by　any　chance　you　had　PURPOSELY　staked　on　zero；　in
which　case　you　would　receive　thirty…five　times　the　value　of　your
stake。〃

〃Why　thirty…five　times；　when　zero　so　often　turns　up？　And　if　so；
why　do　not　more　of　these　fools　stake　upon　it？〃　

〃Because　the　number　of　chances　against　its　occurrence　is
thirty…six。〃

〃Rubbish！　Potapitch；　Potapitch！　Come　here；　and　I　will　give　you
some　money。〃　The　old　lady　took　out　of　her　pocket　a
tightly…clasped　purse；　and　extracted　from　its　depths　a
ten…gulden　piece。　〃Go　at　once；　and　stake　that　upon　zero。〃

〃But；　Madame；　zero　has　only　this　moment　turned　up；〃　I
remonstrated；　〃wherefore；　it　may　not　do　so　again　for　ever　so
long。　Wait　a　little；　and　you　may　then　have　a　better　chance。〃

〃Rubbish！　Stake；　please。〃

〃Pardon　me；　but　zero　might　not　turn　up　again　until；　say；
tonight；　even　though　you　had　staked　thousands　upon　it。　It　often
happens　so。〃

〃Rubbish；　rubbish！　Who　fears　the　wolf　should　never　enter　the
forest。　What？　We　have　lost？　Then　stake　again。〃

A　second　ten…gulden　piece　did　we　lose；　and　then　I　put　down　a
third。　The　Grandmother　could　scarcely　remain　seated　in　her
chair；　so　intent　was　she　upon　the　little　ball　as　it　leapt
through　the　notches　of　the　ever…revolving　wheel。　However；　the
third　ten…gulden　piece　followed　the　first　two。　Upon　this　the
Grandmother　went　perfectly　crazy。　She　could　no　longer　sit　still；
and　actually　struck　the　table　with　her　fist　when　the　croupier
cried　out；　〃Trente…six；〃　instead　of　the　desiderated　zero。

〃To　listen　to　him！〃　fumed　the　old　lady。　〃When　will　that
accursed　zero　ever　turn　up？　I　cannot　breathe　until　I　see　it。　I
believe　that　that　infernal　croupier　is　PURPOSELY　keeping　it　from
turning　up。　Alexis　Ivanovitch；　stake　TWO　golden　pieces　this
time。　The　moment　we　cease　to　stake；　that　cursed　zero　will　come
turning　up；　and　we　shall　get　nothing。〃

〃My　good　Madame〃

〃Stake；　stake！　It　is　not　YOUR　money。〃

Accordingly　I　staked　two　ten…gulden　pieces。　The　ball　went
hopping　round　the　wheel　until　it　began　to　settle　through　the
notches。　Meanwhile　the　Grandmother　sat　as　though　petrified；　with
my　hand　convulsively　clutched　in　hers。

〃Zero！〃　called　the　croupier。

〃There！　You　see；　you　see！〃　cried　the　old　lady；　as　she　turned
and　faced　me；　wreathed　in　smiles。　〃I　told　you　so！　It　was　the
Lord　God　himself　who　suggested　to　me　to　stake　those　two　coins。
Now；　how　much　ought　I　to　receive？　Why　do　they　not　pay　it　out　to
me？　Potapitch！　Martha！　Where　are　they？　What　has　become　of　our
party？　Potapitch；　Potapitch！〃

〃Presently；　Madame；〃　I　whispered。　〃Potapitch　is　outside；　and
they　would　decline　to　admit　him　to　these　rooms。　See！　You　are
being　paid　out　your　money。　Pray　take　it。〃　The　croupiers　were
making　up　a　heavy　packet　of　coins；　sealed　in　blue　paper；　and
containing　fifty　ten　gulden　pieces；　together　with　an　unsealed
packet　containing　another　twenty。　I　handed　the　whole　to　the　old
lady　in　a　money…shovel。

〃Faites　le　jeu；　messieurs！　Faites　le　jeu；　messieurs！　Rien　ne　va
plus；〃　proclaimed　the　croupier　as　once　more　he　invited　the
company　to　stake；　and　prepared　to　turn　the　wheel。

〃We　shall　be　too　late！　He　is　going　to　spin　again！　Stake；　stake！〃　
The　Grandmother　was　in　a　perfect　fever。　〃Do　not　hang　back！　Be
quick！〃　She　seemed　almost　beside　herself；　and　nudged　me　as　hard
as　she　could。

〃Upon　what　shall　I　stake；　Madame？〃

〃Upon　zero；　upon　zero！　Again　upon　zero！　Stake　as　much　as　ever
you　can。　How　much　have　we　got？　Seventy　ten…gulden　pieces？　We
shall　not　miss　them；　so　stake　twenty　pieces　at　a　time。〃

〃Think　a　moment；　Madame。　Sometimes　zero　does　not　turn　up　for
two　hundred　rounds　in　succession。　I　assure　you　that　you　may　lose
all　your　capital。〃

〃You　are　wrongutterly　wrong。　Stake；　I　tell　you！　What　a
chattering　tongue　you　have！　I　know　perfectly　well　what　I　am
doing。〃　The　old　lady　was　shaking　with　excitement。

〃But　the　rules　do　not　allow　of　more　than　120　gulden　being
staked　upon　zero　at　a　time。〃

〃How　'do　not　allow'？　Surely　you　are　wrong？　Monsieur；　monsieur〃
here　she　nudged　the　croupier　who　was　sitting　on　her　left；　and
preparing　to　spin　〃combien　zero？　Douze？　Douze？〃

I　hastened　to　translate。

〃Oui；　Madame；〃　was　the　croupier's　polite　reply。　〃No　single
stake　must　exceed　four　thousand　florins。　That　is　the　regulation。〃

〃Then　there　is　nothing　else　for　it。　We　must　risk　in　gulden。〃

〃Le　jeu　est　fait！〃　the　croupier　called。　The　wheel　revolved；
and　stopped　at　thirty。　We　had　lost！

〃Again；　again；　again！　Stake　again！〃　shouted　the　old　lady。
Without　attempting　to　oppose　her　further；　but　merely　shrugging
my　shoulders；　I　placed　twelve　more　ten…gulden　pieces　upon　the
table。　The　wheel　whirled　around　and　around；　with　the　Grandmother
simply　quaking　as　she　watched　its　revolutions。

〃Does　she　again　think　that　zero　is　going　to　be　the　winning
coup？〃　thought　I；　as　I　stared　at　her　in　astonishment。　Yet　an
absolute　assurance　of　winning　was　shining