"Yes, Plantagenet; the gambling-rooms. If you had been with me before, I should not have made a fool of myself by putting my piece of money on the table. I want to see the place; but then I saw nothing, because I was so frightened when I found that I was winning."
Mr. Palliser was aware that all the world of Baden,--or rather the world of the strangers at Baden,--assembles itself in those salons. It may be also that he himself was curious to see how men looked when they lost their own money, or won that of others. He knew how a Minister looked when he lost or gained a tax. He was familiar with millions and tens of millions in a committee of the whole House. He knew the excitement of a near division upon the estimates. But he had never yet seen a poor man stake his last napoleon, and rake back from off the table a small hatful of gold. A little exercise after an early dinner was, he had been told, good for his wife; and he agreed therefore that, on their second evening at Baden, they would all walk up and see the play.

"Yes, Plantagenet; the gambling-rooms. If you had been with me before, I should not have made a fool of myself by putting my money on the table. I want to see the place; but then I saw nothing, because I was so frightened when I found that I was winning."
Mr. Palliser was aware that all the world of Baden assembles itself in those salons. Maybe he himself was curious to see how men looked when they lost their own money, or won that of others. He knew how a Minister looked when he lost or gained a tax. He was familiar with tens of millions in a committee of the House. But he had never seen a poor man stake his last napoleon, and rake from off the table a small hatful of gold. He agreed therefore that, on their second evening at Baden, they would all walk up and see the play.
