If these revelations serve to awaken vicious ideas in perverted minds, what can be said of the various works on the laws of duelling, in which you can learn how to kill your neighbour according to rule?
Is it not to be feared, that the opinions contained in those books may lead to crime?
For my part, I have so good an opinion of mankind in general, that I trust the perusal of this work will only tend to their benefit, and prove their safeguard against rogues. Let each person when he sits down to play, strengthened by the hints and instructions I have given him, look with suspicion on all "Greeks" (as these sharpers are sometimes called), and let him recollect to his profit this verse of Virgil:
"Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes."
[CONTENTS.]
| PAGE | |
| [Preface] | [iii] |
| [AN ANECDOTE BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION.] | |
| A dangerous professor | [1] |
| [CHAPTER I.] | |
| MODERN GREEKS. | |
| Origin of the name "Greek"—The first gambling houses—Invention of Roulette—Hunt for dupes—Opening of tripots or low gambling-houses—The Greek described—Different classes of sharpers | [15] |
| [CHAPTER II.] | |
| THE GREEK OF FASHIONABLE LIFE. | |
| Wonderful acuteness—Refined sleight-of-hand—Delicacy of touch | [22] |
| [CHAPTER III.] | |
| THE GREEK OF THE MIDDLE CLASSES. | |
| The "Comtois" and "Amazone"—Tricks and frauds—An heir expectant—Game at Bouillotte—A rich pocket-book—The bill to pay—Dupers duped | [26] |
| [CHAPTER IV.] | |
| THE GREEK OF THE TRIPOT. | |
| His abject condition—The public-house—Pretended stupidity—Dupes fleeced—Acting the countryman—Table d'hôte—The pellets—A good farce—Deception—The three cards—The countryman's bet—Clever substitution—English rogues—Thimble-rig | [33] |
| [CHAPTER V.] | |
| A GREEK TAKEN IN THE FACT. | |
| The restaurant of the Veau qui tête—Subscription ball—The card-room—A lucky player—Sauter la coupe—Mystification—The tell-tale hat—We are done | [45] |
| [CHAPTER VI.] | |
| THE GAMBLER RAYMOND. | |
| His infallible system—His agreeable manners—A Roulette player—Confidences—Revelations—In vein, and out of vein—The maturity of chances—Advice to players—Maxims—Influences—The gambler must be unmoved—Application of the system—A fortunate martingale—Mysterious meeting—Shorn of a beard—Ruin and misery—The Talisman—Raymond is a Greek—Useful information | [54] |
| [CHAPTER VII.] | |
| EDIFYING HISTORY OF A GREEK. | |
| Debauchery—Scheme to get money—The usurer Robineau—The bill of exchange—A false friend—Treason—Stay at Clichy—Initiation of a sharper—Release from prison | [71] |
| [CHAPTER VIII.] | |
| SECRET GAMBLING-HOUSES. | |
| Greeks both as dupers and duped—Andréas Tête d'Or—Secret inquiry—The human ostrich—The Society of Philosophers—Chaffard the bravo—Exploit of Tête d'Or—A Greek thrown out of window—Mystification | [80] |
| [CHAPTER IX.] | |
| SECRET GAMBLING-HOUSES—(continued). | |
| School of cheating—Travelling Greeks—Le Service—Formidable manœuvre—Imperceptible signs—The business of the Comtois—The coup de retraite—Abundant harvest—Prodigality and debauch—Fortune takes her reprisal | [89] |
| [CHAPTER X.] | |
| THE DOCTOR DUPED. | |
| The false capitalist—The rogue is bled—More confederates arrive—A good hand—The fleecing—The doctor bled | [99] |
| [CHAPTER XI.] | |
| THE PASTE RING. | |
| The amateur of precious stones—What a beautiful diamond!—A sovereign cure—Ah! if I were a rogue—A false paste ring!—The game is played—The tell-tale stamp investigation—The wanderer by night—The mysterious tripot—The sharper caught in a trap—Recriminations—The message—The false commissary of police—The Rue de Jerusalem—Unexpected dénoûement | [106] |
| [CHAPTER XII.] | |
| AN INFAMOUS SNARE. | |
| A young fool—Envy and covetousness—Aphorisms— Insinuations—Confidences—Influencing the game—Honest men are sometimes rogues—Mushrooms and cheating—The Greek moralist—Example of cheating—Initiation—Maxims and manipulations—Temptation—The Belgian capitalist—The cartes biseautées—Easily won—An insolvent gambler—Comedy—The Greek in despair—An infamous snare—Dishonour—Ruin—The faithless trustee—Separation of the philosophers—A virtuous Greek—Golden hopes—A beard again—A demi-millionaire | [124] |
* **** | |
| [TECHNICAL PART.] | |
| [GENERAL PRINCIPLES.] | |
| [CHAPTER I.] | |
| THE FALSE CUT. | |
| The saut de coupe—The passe-coupe—The cut above—The large card—The bridge—The bent card | [158] |
| [CHAPTER II.] | |
| FILER LA CARTE. | |
| To change a card | [169] |
| [CHAPTER III.] | |
| The enlevage, or abstraction of a card | [172] |
| [CHAPTER IV.] | |
| The card replaced | [175] |
| [CHAPTER V.] | |
| The glance | [176] |
| [CHAPTER VI.] | |
| The substituted pack—The box in the sleeve | [177] |
| [CHAPTER VII.] | |
| False shuffles—The arranged shuffle—The partial shuffle—The fan—The dove-tail | [183] |
| [CHAPTER VIII.] | |
| DOCTORED CARDS. | |
| Cartes biseautées—Tinted cards—Sticky or slippery cards—Slanting cards—Pricked cards—Cards with indented edges—Wavy cards—Chequered cards—Marked cards | [189] |
| [CHAPTER IX.] | |
| The chaplet, or rosary | [205] |
| [CHAPTER X.] | |
| The ring for marking | [209] |
| [CHAPTER XI.] | |
| The reflecting snuff-box | [211] |
| [CHAPTER XII.] | |
| APPLICATION OF THE PRECEDING PRINCIPLES. | |
| Arrangement of the pack—Coups de piquet—How to repique and capot an adversary—How to repique and capot an adversary, although he has shuffled the cards—Abstraction and substitution of cards—Coup d'écarté—Jeu de règle—Lansquenet—Baccarat—Vingt-et-un, &c. &c. | [213] |
| [CHAPTER XIII.] | |
| ENTERTAINING TRICKS. | |
| In Piquet—Écarté—Baccarat—Impériale—Whist—Bouillotte—Bézigue—&c., &c. | [232] |
| [CHAPTER XIV.] | |
| MINOR CHEATS OF MEN OF THE WORLD. | |
| Ruses and frauds allowable by custom in society | [259] |