the gambler-第3部分

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her　servantthe　Empress　who　hesitated　not　to　unrobe　herself
before　her　slave；　since　she　did　not　account　a　slave　a　man。　Yes；
often　Polina　must　have　taken　me　for　something　less　than　a　man！〃

Still；　she　had　charged　me　with　a　commissionto　win　what　I　could
at　roulette。　Yet　all　the　time　I　could　not　help　wondering　WHY　it
was　so　necessary　for　her　to　win　something；　and　what　new　schemes
could　have　sprung　to　birth　in　her　ever…fertile　brain。　A　host　of
new　and　unknown　factors　seemed　to　have　arisen　during　the　last
two　weeks。　Well；　it　behoved　me　to　divine　them；　and　to　probe
them；　and　that　as　soon　as　possible。　Yet　not　now：　at　the　present
moment　I　must　repair　to　the　roulette…table。

II

I　confess　I　did　not　like　it。　Although　I　had　made　up　my　mind　to
play；　I　felt　averse　to　doing　so　on　behalf　of　some　one　else。　In
fact；　it　almost　upset　my　balance；　and　I　entered　the　gaming　rooms
with　an　angry　feeling　at　my　heart。　At　first　glance　the　scene
irritated　me。　Never　at　any　time　have　I　been　able　to　bear　the
flunkeyishness　which　one　meets　in　the　Press　of　the　world　at
large；　but　more　especially　in　that　of　Russia；　where；　almost
every　evening；　journalists　write　on　two　subjects　in　particular
namely；　on　the　splendour　and　luxury　of　the　casinos　to　be　found
in　the　Rhenish　towns；　and　on　the　heaps　of　gold　which　are　daily
to　be　seen　lying　on　their　tables。　　Those　journalists　are　not
paid　for　doing　so：　they　write　thus　merely　out　of　a　spirit　of
disinterested　complaisance。　For　there　is　nothing　splendid　about
the　establishments　in　question；　and；　not　only　are　there　no　heaps
of　gold　to　be　seen　lying　on　their　tables；　but　also　there　is　very
little　money　to　be　seen　at　all。　Of　course；　during　the　season；　
some　madman　or　another　may　make　his　appearancegenerally　an
Englishman；　or　an　Asiatic；　or　a　Turkand　（as　had　happened　during
the　summer　of　which　I　write）　win　or　lose　a　great　deal；　but；　as
regards　the　rest　of　the　crowd；　it　plays　only　for　petty　gulden；
and　seldom　does　much　wealth　figure　on　the　board。　

When；　on　the　present　occasion；　I　entered　the　gaming…rooms
（for　the　first　time　in　my　life）；　it　was　several　moments
before　I　could　even　make　up　my　mind　to　play。　For　one　thing；　the
crowd　oppressed　me。　Had　I　been　playing　for　myself；　I　think　I　
should　have　left　at　once；　and　never　have　embarked　upon　gambling　at
all；　for　I　could　feel　my　heart　beginning　to　beat；　and　my　heart　was
anything　but　cold…blooded。　Also；　I　knew；　I　had　long　ago　made　up　my　
mind；　that　never　should　I　depart　from　Roulettenberg　until　some　radical；
some　final；　change　had　taken　place　in　my　fortunes。　Thus；　it　must
and　would　be。　However　ridiculous　it　may　seem　to　you　that　I　was
expecting　to　win　at　roulette；　I　look　upon　the　generally　accepted
opinion　concerning　the　folly　and　the　grossness　of　hoping　to　win
at　gambling　as　a　thing　even　more　absurd。　For　why　is　gambling　a
whit　worse　than　any　other　method　of　acquiring　money？　How；　for
instance；　is　it　worse　than　trade？　True；　out　of　a　hundred
persons；　only　one　can　win；　yet　what　business　is　that　of　yours　or
of　mine？

At　all　events；　I　confined　myself　at　first　simply　to　looking　on；
and　decided　to　attempt　nothing　serious。　Indeed；　I　felt　that；　if
I　began　to　do　anything　at　all；　I　should　do　it　in　an
absent…minded；　haphazard　sort　of　wayof　that　I　felt　certain。
Also。　it　behoved　me　to　learn　the　game　itself；　since；　despite　a
thousand　descriptions　of　roulette　which　I　had　read　with
ceaseless　avidity；　I　knew　nothing　of　its　rules；　and　had　never
even　seen　it　played。

In　the　first　place；　everything　about　it　seemed　to　me　so　foulso
morally　mean　and　foul。　Yet　I　am　not　speaking　of　the　hungry；
restless　folk　who；　by　scores　nay；　even　by　hundredscould　be　seen
crowded　around　the　gaming…tables。　For　in　a　desire　to　win　quickly
and　to　win　much　I　can　see　nothing　sordid；　I　have　always
applauded　the　opinion　of　a　certain　dead　and　gone；　but　cocksure；
moralist　who　replied　to　the　excuse　that　〃　one　may　always　gamble
moderately　〃；　by　saying　that　to　do　so　makes　things　worse；　since；
in　that　case；　the　profits　too　will　always　be　moderate。

Insignificant　profits　and　sumptuous　profits　do　not　stand　on　the
same　footing。　No；　it　is　all　a　matter　of　proportion。　What　may
seem　a　small　sum　to　a　Rothschild　may　seem　a　large　sum　to　me；　and
it　is　not　the　fault　of　stakes　or　of　winnings　that　everywhere　men
can　be　found　winning；　can　be　found　depriving　their　fellows　of
something；　just　as　they　do　at　roulette。　As　to　the　question
whether　stakes　and　winnings　are；　in　themselves；　immoral　is
another　question　altogether；　and　I　wish　to　express　no　opinion
upon　it。　Yet　the　very　fact　that　I　was　full　of　a　strong　desire　to
win　caused　this　gambling　for　gain；　in　spite　of　its　attendant
squalor；　to　contain；　if　you　will；　something　intimate；　something
sympathetic；　to　my　eyes：　for　it　is　always　pleasant　to　see　men
dispensing　with　ceremony；　and　acting　naturally；　and　in　an
unbuttoned　mood。　。　。　。　

Yet；　why　should　I　so　deceive　myself？　I
could　see　that　the　whole　thing　was　a　vain　and　unreasoning
pursuit；　and　what；　at　the　first　glance；　seemed　to　me　the　ugliest
feature　in　this　mob　of　roulette　players　was　their　respect　for
their　occupationthe　seriousness；　and　even　the　humility；　with
which　they　stood　around　the　gaming　tables。　Moreover；　I　had
always　drawn　sharp　distinctions　between　a　game　which　is　de
mauvais　genre　and　a　game　which　is　permissible　to　a　decent　man。
In　fact；　there　are　two　sorts　of　gamingnamely；　the　game　of　the
gentleman　and　the　game　of　the　plebsthe　game　for　gain；　and　the
game　of　the　herd。　Herein；　as　said；　I　draw　sharp　distinctions。
Yet　how　essentially　base　are　the　distinctions！　For　instance；　a
gentleman　may　stake；　say；　five　or　ten　louis　d'orseldom　more；
unless　he　is　a　very　rich　man；　when　he　may　stake；　say；　a　thousand
francs；　but；　he　must　do　this　simply　for　the　love　of　the　game
itselfsimply　for　sport；　simply　in　order　to　observe　the　process
of　winning　or　of　losing；　and；　above　all　things；　as　a　man　who
remains　quite　uninterested　in　the　possibility　of　his　issuing　a
winner。　If　he　wins；　he　will　be　at　liberty；　perhaps；　to　give　vent
to　a　laugh；　or　to　pass　a　remark　on　the　circumstance　to　a
bystander；　or　to　stake　again；　or　to　double　his　stake；　but；　even
this　he　must　do　solely　out　of　curiosity；　and　for　the　pleasure　of
watching　the　play　of　chances　and　of　calculations；　and　not
because　of　any　vulgar　desire　to　win。　In　a　word；　he　must　look
upon　the　gaming…table；　upon　roulette；　and　upon　trente　et
quarante；　as　mere　relaxations　which　have　been　arranged　solely
for　his　amusement。　Of　the　existence　of　the　lures　and　gains　upon
which　the　bank　is　founded　and　maintained　he　must　profess　to　have
not　an　inkling。　Best　of　all；　he　ought　to　imagine　his
fellow…gamblers　and　the　rest　of　the　mob　which　stands　trembling
over　a　coin　to　be　equally　rich　and　gentlemanly　with　himself；　and
playing　solely　for　recreation　and　pleasure。　This　complete
ignorance　of　the　realities；　this　innocent　view　of　mankind；　is
what；　in　my　opinion；　constitutes　the　truly　aristocratic。　For
instance；　I　have　seen　even　fond　mothers　so　far　indulge　their
guileless；　elegant　daughtersmisses　of　fifteen　or　sixteenas　to
give　them　a　few　gold　coins　and　teach　them　how　to　play；　and
though　the　young　ladies　may　have　won　or　have　lost；　they　have
invariably　laughed；　and　departed　as　though　they　were　well
pleased。　In　the　same　way；　I　saw　our　General　once　approach　the
table　in　a　stolid；　important　manner。　A　lacquey　darted　to　offer
him　a　chair；　but　the　General　did　not　even　notice　him。　Slowly　he
took　out　his　money　bags；　and　slowly　extracted　300　francs　in
gold；　which　he　staked　on　the　black；　and　won。　Yet　he　did　not　take
up　his　winningshe　left　them　there　on　the　table。　Again　the
black　turned　up；　and　again　he　did　not　gather　in　what　he　had　won；
and　when；　in　the　third　round；　the　RED　turned　up　he　lost；　at　a
stroke；　1200　francs。　Yet　even　then　he　rose　with　a　smile；　and
thus　preserved　his　reputation；　yet　I　knew　that　his　money　bags
must　be　chafing　his　heart；　as　well　as　that；　had　the　stake　been
twice　or　thrice　as　much　again；　he　would　still　have　restrained
himself　from　venting　his　disappointment。　

On　the　other　hand；　I　saw　a　Frenchman　first　win；　and　then　lose；　
30；000　francs　cheerfully；　and　without　a　murmur。　Yes；　even　if　a　gentleman
should　lose　his　whole　substance；　he　must　never　give　way　to
annoyance。　Money　must　be　so　subservient　to　gentility　as　never　to
be　worth　a　thought。　　Of　course；　the　SUPREMELY　aristocratic　thing
is　to　be　entirely　oblivious　of　the　mire　of　rabble；　with　its
setting；　but　sometimes　a　reverse　course　may　be　aristocratic　to
remark；　to　scan；　and　even　to　gape　at；　the　mob　（for　preference；
through　a　lorgnette）；　even　as　though　one　were　taking　the　crowd
and　its　squalor　for　a　sort　of　raree　show　which　had　been
organised　specially　for　a　gentleman's　diversion。　Though　one　may
be　squeezed　by　the　crowd；　one　must　look　as　though　one　were　fully
assured　of　being　the　observerof　having　neither　part　nor　lot
with　the　observed。　At　the　same　time；　to　stare　fixedly　about　one
is　unbecoming；　for　that；　again；　is　ungentlemanly；　seeing　that　no
spectacle　is　worth　an　open　stareare　no　spectacles　in　the　world
which　merit　from　a　gentleman　too　pronounced　an　inspection。

However；　to　me　personally　the　scene　DID　seem　to　be　worth
undisguised　contemplationmore　especially　in　view　of　the　fact
that　I　had　come　there　not　only　to　look　at；　but　also　to　number
myself　sincerely　and　wholeheartedly　with；　the　mob。　As　for　my
secret　moral　views；。　I　had　no　room　for　them　amongst　my　actual；
practical　opinions。　Let　that　stand　as　written：　I　am　writing　only
to　relieve　my　conscience。　Yet　let　me　say　also　this：　that　from
the　first　I　have　been　consistent　in　having　an　intense　aversion
to　any　trial　of　my　acts　and　thoughts　by　a　moral　standard。　
Another　standard　altogether　has　directed　my　life。　。　。　。

As　a　matter　of　fact；　the　mob　was　playing　in　exceedingly　foul
fashion。　Indeed；　I　have　an　idea　that　sheer　robbery　was　going　on
around　that　gaming…table。　The　croupiers　who　sat　at　the　two　ends
of　it　had　not　only　to　watch　the　stakes；　but　also　to　calculate
the　gamean　immense　amount　of　work　for　two　men！　As　for　the　crowd
itselfwell；　it　consisted　mostly　of　Frenchmen。　Yet　I　was　not
then　taking　notes　merely　in　order　to　be　able　to　give　you　a
description　of　roulette；　but　in　order　to　get　my