Charles Dickens: The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby

CHAPTER 50: Involves a serious Catastrophe (continued)

The other presided over the ROUGE-ET-NOIR table. He was probably some ten years younger, and was a plump, paunchy, sturdy-looking fellow, with his under-lip a little pursed, from a habit of counting money inwardly as he paid it, but with no decidedly bad expression in his face, which was rather an honest and jolly one than otherwise. He wore no coat, the weather being hot, and stood behind the table with a huge mound of crowns and half-crowns before him, and a cash-box for notes. This game was constantly playing. Perhaps twenty people would be staking at the same time. This man had to roll the ball, to watch the stakes as they were laid down, to gather them off the colour which lost, to pay those who won, to do it all with the utmost dispatch, to roll the ball again, and to keep this game perpetually alive. He did it all with a rapidity absolutely marvellous; never hesitating, never making a mistake, never stopping, and never ceasing to repeat such unconnected phrases as the following, which, partly from habit, and partly to have something appropriate and business-like to say, he constantly poured out with the same monotonous emphasis, and in nearly the same order, all day long:

'Rooge-a-nore from Paris! Gentlemen, make your game and back your own opinions--any time while the ball rolls--rooge-a-nore from Paris, gentlemen, it's a French game, gentlemen, I brought it over myself, I did indeed!--Rooge-a-nore from Paris--black wins--black-- stop a minute, sir, and I'll pay you, directly--two there, half a pound there, three there--and one there--gentlemen, the ball's a rolling--any time, sir, while the ball rolls!--The beauty of this game is, that you can double your stakes or put down your money, gentlemen, any time while the ball rolls--black again--black wins--I never saw such a thing--I never did, in all my life, upon my word I never did; if any gentleman had been backing the black in the last five minutes he must have won five-and-forty pound in four rolls of the ball, he must indeed. Gentlemen, we've port, sherry, cigars, and most excellent champagne. Here, wai-ter, bring a bottle of champagne, and let's have a dozen or fifteen cigars here--and let's be comfortable, gentlemen--and bring some clean glasses--any time while the ball rolls!--I lost one hundred and thirty-seven pound yesterday, gentlemen, at one roll of the ball, I did indeed!--how do you do, sir?' (recognising some knowing gentleman without any halt or change of voice, and giving a wink so slight that it seems an accident), 'will you take a glass of sherry, sir?--here, wai-ter! bring a clean glass, and hand the sherry to this gentleman--and hand it round, will you, waiter?--this is the rooge-a-nore from Paris, gentlemen--any time while the ball rolls!--gentlemen, make your game, and back your own opinions--it's the rooge-a-nore from Paris-- quite a new game, I brought it over myself, I did indeed--gentlemen, the ball's a-rolling!'