Accordingly you sit down to that little play,at which the good company takes care that you shall win fifteen or sixteen livres,which gives them an opportunity of celebrating both your good luck and your good play.
Supper comes up,and a good one it is,upon the strength of your being able to pay for it.'La Marquise en fait les honneurs au mieux,talks sentiments,'moeurs et morale',interlarded with 'enjouement',and accompanied with some oblique ogles,which bid you not despair in time.
After supper,pharaoh,lansquenet,or quinze,happen accidentally to be mentioned:the Marquise exclaims against it,and vows she will not suffer it,but is at last prevailed upon by being assured 'que ce ne sera que pour des riens'.Then the wished-for moment is come,the operation begins:you are cheated,at best,of all the money in your pocket,and if you stay late,very probably robbed of your watch and snuff-box,possibly murdered for greater security.This I can assure you,is not an exaggerated,but a literal description of what happens every day to some raw and inexperienced stranger at Paris.Remember to receive all these civil gentlemen,who take such a fancy to you at first sight,very coldly,and take care always to be previously engaged,whatever party they propose to you.You may happen sometimes,in very great and good companies,to meet with some dexterous gentlemen,who may be very desirous,and also very sure,to win your money,if they can but engage you to play with them.Therefore lay it down as an invariable rule never to play with men,but only with women of fashion,at low play,or with women and men mixed.But,at the same time,whenever you are asked to play deeper than you would,do not refuse it gravely and sententiously,alleging the folly of staking what would be very inconvenient to one to lose,against what one does not want to win;but parry those invitations ludicrously,'et en badinant'.Say that,if you were sure to lose,you might possibly play,but that as you may as well win,you dread 'l'embarras des richesses',ever since you have seen what an encumbrance they were to poor Harlequin,and that,therefore,you are determined never to venture the winning above two louis a-day;this sort of light trifling way of declining invitations to vice and folly,is more becoming your age,and at the same time more effectual,than grave philosophical refusals.A young fellow who seems to have no will of his own,and who does everything that is asked of him,is called a very good-natured,but at the same time,is thought a very silly young fellow.Act wisely,upon solid principles,and from true motives,but keep them to yourself,and never talk sententiously.When you are invited to drink,say that you wish you could,but that so little makes you both drunk and sick,'que le jeu me vaut pas la chandelle'.
Pray show great attention,and make your court to Monsieur de la Gueriniere;he is well with Prince Charles and many people of the first distinction at Paris;his commendations will raise your character there,not to mention that his favor will be of use to you in the Academy itself.For the reasons which I mentioned to you in my last,I would have you be interne in the Academy for the first six months;but after that,I promise you that you shall have lodgings of your own 'dans un hotel garni',if in the meantime I hear well of you,and that you frequent,and are esteemed in the best French companies.You want nothing now,thank God,but exterior advantages,that last polish,that 'tournure du monde',and those graces,which are so necessary to adorn,and give efficacy to,the most solid merit.They are only to be acquired in the best companies,and better in the best French companies than in any other.You will not want opportunities,for I shall send you letters that will establish you in the most distinguished companies,not only of the beau monde,but of the beaux esprits,too.Dedicate,therefore,Ibeg of you,that whole year to your own advantage and final improvement,and do not be diverted from those objects by idle dissipations,low seduction,or bad example.After that year,do whatever you please;Iwill interfere no longer in your conduct;for I am sure both you and Ishall be safe then.Adieu!
