But he never heard a word. All his sense was concentrated on the
board before him, and his only motion was to bend more closely and
eagerly over the play. Tom whispered in my ear--
"You have the money, Jasper; take her advice if you really mean to
play this farce out. Take the seat if you get a chance, and play
your own game."
"You have been here before," I answered, "and know more about the
game."
"Here before! Yes, to my cost. No, no, the idea of play is your own
and you shall carry it out. I am always unlucky, and as for
knowledge of the game, you can pick that up by watching a round or
two; it's perfectly simple."
Again the bank had won. At the left hand of our hostess stood a
stolid man holding a small shovel with which he gathered in the
winnings. All around were faces as of souls in torture; even the
features of the winners (and these were few enough) scarcely
expressed a trace of satisfaction, but seemed rather cast into some
horrible trance in which they saw nothing but the piles of coin, the
spinning needle, and the flashing hands of the woman that turned it.
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