Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-06-10

onous cry of the croupier: ''Faitcs votre leu, Mcssieurs-lc jeu est fait-rien ne va pluS!'
 Many who stood there, to all appear nrcc calmly, were gathering together their last hope of life, bitter doubt gnawcd at another frivolous heart, and the hardened gamcster experienced the pleasant sensations which he sought, there.
 I watched the faces of the lovely women gathered around the table. Their eyes sparkled feverishly: their checks flushed or paled under the rouge; upon all lny the same strain, and gave them terrible similarity. l know not, if in this assemblage there was to be found better element; l did not try to find them out, the passion for play, the greed for gold, made them all alike to me.
 They saw, heard and felt nothing but the gold, the voice of the croupier, and the emptiness of their purses.
 As this last stage arrived they awOlIc from their intoxication and bethought themselves of their beloved, their friend or patron, who had the replcn- ishing of it.
 Do you not think" at this moment said Lapotin's deep voice in my car, 'it would give one a strange sensation if one should meet amongst these priest csscs of mammon, a face, which one saw the last time in lilac bower, by the pure light of the moon? Come" continued he, "one must join them in the game, or one begins to dcspisc ones fellow men!' In the sanctuary proper where only true believers and priests of the idol congregate, in the hall of the "Rouge ct noir," everything was quieter.
 There sat the veterans, refugees from Baden Baden, Hamburg, and SD forth, who here found their last recourse. They seemed to play without any cX- citemcnt, but when one looked into the decply-sunllen eyes, when ono watched the nervously twitching mouth, one found the same disease there. They were all possessed, possessed by that evil which is the worst and most destructive to the soul. And, in stead of trying to do away with this evil by all the means of progressive civilization, home is established for 1t here by the prince of Monaco and Men sicur Blanc; home that could not
 
 ing abroad of the plague, and that in the vicinity of Mcntonc, Lau Reno, Nice and Cannes, those resorts for suf- fercrs from all lands!
 Young, thoughtlcss people arc mag nctically attracted by those magical rocks, where vice appears in such Q tempting form. Weak lungs breathe the air of the gaming rooms until mid ..4,. ,-N1 %,~% %1NNS,. ,H most; these people do not stake their money alone, they stake their lives. But what is that? What does it matter that every year thousands of lives arc wrecked, hundreds commit suicide, and the population are dcmoralizcd in q truly terrible manner?
 The main object is that Monsieur Blanc and his partner gain so many millions in order to obtain princes for their daughters, and to divide their booty with the prince of Monaco. the proud Grimaldi, a scion of the oldest dynasty in Europ>. Lapotin was right; if one did not play, it was not interest ing.
 brcathcd deeply as we stood once | again under Gods starry canopy, and the fresh sea air cooled our heated brOwS.
 The landscape was very peaceful in the clear moonlight, which shed its sil- very beams far over the sea.
 But not long did it remain so calm and peaceful. The last train to Nice would leave i'll ten minutes, and from the marble palace q gay swarm Strcam"d out, in wild bacrhanal mood, and passed down the broad staircase towards the station in wild confusion. l "A witches sabbath" my friend had said; the word suited this dissolutc, midnight practice. The love of gam ing, of intoxication, of lovc--grcat God, what lovc!-rages in these people, whom the fear of not finding room in the coaches makes still rudcr.
 To my great surprise Lapotin got out again, and I saw him for second in the thick of the crowd, next our blonde. At the very last moment ho joined us, and away we sped through the darkness!
 On getting out at Nice there was again coarse laughter and women's shriclis. A harsh, unmclodious voice sang:
 "Ach! vie waer's moeglich damn,
 DasZ ich Dich lasscn kann-"
 This sentimental little folk song sung here and in such manner was revolt ing.
 At length we reached the hotel, whicl was so quiet that it seemed to sooth, our ovcrstrung nerves.
 CHAPTER VII.
 Lapotin was not at breakfast; Mis Rcnncrt's chair, too, was empty: sh had a headache, Louis said.
 Mrs Clifford looked pale and excited but wonderfully beautiful in her iaclle of black velvet trimmed with fur of tn same color, which set off her dazzlin, complexion very effectively.
 Next her plate lay a bouquet of Ma. flowers and gardrnias, 1ak.h which a times her delicate hand toycd. Sudden ly she drew few May flowers out am fastened them on her bosom. Coun