venture two or three louis, in the hope that fortune would favour the
handsome duchesses who deigned to place them on their cards.

[Bachaumont in his "Memoirs," (tome xii., p. 189), which are often
satirical; and always somewhat questionable, speaks of the singular
precautions taken at play at Court. "The bankers at the Queen's table,"
says he, "in order to prevent the mistakes [I soften the harshness of his
expression] which daily happen, have obtained permission from her Majesty
that before beginning to play the table shall be bordered by a ribbon
entirely round it, and that no other money than that upon the cards beyond
the ribbon shall be considered as staked."--NOTE By THE EDITOR.]

Singular contrasts are often seen amidst the grandeur of courts. In order
to manage such high play at the Queen's faro table, it was necessary to
have a banker provided with large, sums of money; and this necessity
placed at the table, to which none but the highest titled persons were
admitted in general, not only M. de Chalabre, who was its banker, but also
a retired captain of foot, who officiated as his second. A word, trivial,
but perfectly appropriate to express the manner in which the Court was
attended there, was often heard. Gentlemen presented at Court, who had
not been invited to stay at Marly, came there notwithstanding, as they did
to Versailles, and returned again to Paris; under such circumstances, it
was said such a one had been to Marly only 'en polisson';--[A contemptuous
expression, meaning literally "as a scamp" or "rascal"]--and it appeared
odd to hear a captivating marquis, in answer to the inquiry whether he was
of the royal party at Marly, say, "No, I am only here 'en polisson',"
meaning simply "I am here on the footing of all those whose nobility is of
a later date than 1400." The Marly excursions were exceedingly expensive
to the King. Besides the superior tables, those of the almoners,
equerries, maitres d'hotel, etc., were all supplied with such a degree of