THE moment we were introduced to the drawing-room, my suspicions of the company we were likely to meet with were fully confirmed.
"Cards, billiards, and betting"--there was the inscription legibly written on the manner and appearance of Captain Peterkin.
The bright-eyed yellow old lady who kept the boarding-house would have been worth five thousand pounds in jewelry alone, if the ornaments which profusely covered her had been genuine precious stones.The younger ladies present had their cheeks as highly rouged and their eyelids as elaborately penciled in black as if they were going on the stage, instead of going to dinner.We found these fair creatures drinking Madeira as a whet to their appetites.Among the men, there were two who struck me as the most finished and complete blackguards whom I had ever met with in all my experience, at home and abroad.One, with a brown face and a broken nose, was presented to us by the title of "Commander," and was described as a person of great wealth and distinction in Peru, traveling for amusement.The other wore a military uniform and decorations, and was spoken of as "the General." A bold bullying manner, a fat sodden face, little leering eyes, and greasy-looking hands, made this man so repellent to me that I privately longed to kick him.Romayne had evidently been announced, before our arrival, as a landed gentleman with a large income.Men and women vied in servile attentions to him.When we went into the dining-room, the fascinating creature who sat next to him held her fan before her face, and so made a private interview of it between the rich Englishman and herself.With regard to the dinner, I shall only report that it justified Captain Peterkin's boast, in some degree at least.The wine was good, and the conversation became gay to the verge of indelicacy.Usually the most temperate of men, Romayne was tempted by his neighbors into drinking freely.I was unfortunately seated at the opposite extremity of the table, and I had no opportunity of warning him.
The dinner reached its conclusion, and we all returned together, on the foreign plan, to coffee and cigars in the drawing-room.
The women smoked, and drank liqueurs as well as coffee, with the men.One of them went to the piano, and a little impromptu ball followed, the ladies dancing with their cigarettes in their mouths.Keeping my eyes and ears on the alert, I saw an innocent-looking table, with a surface of rosewood, suddenly develop a substance of green cloth.At the same time, a neat little roulette-table made its appearance from a hiding-place in a sofa.Passing near the venerable landlady, I heard her ask the servant, in a whisper, "if the dogs were loose?" After what I had observed, I could only conclude that the dogs were used as a patrol, to give the alarm in case of a descent of the police.It was plainly high time to thank Captain Peterkin for his hospitality, and to take our leave.
"We have had enough of this," I whispered to Romayne in English.
"Let us go."
In these days it is a delusion to suppose that you can speak confidentially in the English language, when French people are within hearing.One of the ladies asked Romayne, tenderly, if he was tired of her already.Another reminded him that it was raining heavily (as we could all hear), and suggested waiting until it cleared up.The hideous General waved his greasy hand in the direction of the card table, and said, "The game is waiting for us."Romayne was excited, but not stupefied, by the wine he had drunk.
He answered, discreetly enough, "I must beg you to excuse me; Iam a poor card player."
The General suddenly looked grave."You are speaking, sir, under a strange misapprehension," he said."Our game is lansquenet--essentially a game of chance.With luck, the poorest player is a match for the whole table."Romayne persisted in his refusal.As a matter of course, Isupported him, with all needful care to avoid giving offense.The General took offense, nevertheless.He crossed his arms on his breast, and looked at us fiercely.
"Does this mean, gentlemen, that you distrust the company?" he asked.
The broken-nosed Commander, hearing the question, immediately joined us, in the interests of peace--bearing with him the elements of persuasion, under the form of a lady on his arm.
