Mentone, Cairo and Corfu . inning of the last century. It must have been majestic indeed, since, after allits dismemberment, it still remains so majestic now,said Margaret. We were standing on the steps of the Casino duringthis conversation ; I think we all rather made ourselvesstand there, and talk about Turbia and the Middle Ages,because the evil and temptation we had come to seewere so near us, and we knew that they were. We allhad a sentence ready which we delivered impartiallyand carelessly; but none the less we knew that wewere going in, and that nothing would induce us toremain without.
Mentone, Cairo and Corfu . inning of the last century. It must have been majestic indeed, since, after allits dismemberment, it still remains so majestic now,said Margaret. We were standing on the steps of the Casino duringthis conversation ; I think we all rather made ourselvesstand there, and talk about Turbia and the Middle Ages,because the evil and temptation we had come to seewere so near us, and we knew that they were. We allhad a sentence ready which we delivered impartiallyand carelessly; but none the less we knew that wewere going in, and that nothing would induce us toremain without. From a spacious, richly decorated entrance-hall, thegambling - rooms opened by noiseless swinging , we saw the tables surrounded by a close circleof seated players, with a second circle standing behind,playing over their shoulders, and sometimes even athird behind these. Although so many persons werepresent, it was very still, the only sounds being thechink, chink, of the gold and silver coins, and the dull,. THE RIDE TO SANT AGNESE 131 mechanical voices of the officials announcing the win-ning- numbers. There were tables for both rouletteand trente et quarante, the playing beginning each dayat eleven in the morning and continuing without inter-mission until eleven at night. Everywhere was lavishedthe luxury of flowers, paintings, marbles, and the cost-liest decoration of all kinds ; beyond, in a superb hall,the finest orchestra on the Continent was playing thedivine music of Beethoven; outside, one of the loveli-est gardens in the world offered itself to those whowished to stroll awhile. And all of this was givenfreely, without restriction and without price, upon asite and under a sky as beautiful as earth can one sober look at the faces of the steady playersaround those tables betrayed, under all this luxury andbeauty, the real horror of the place; for men andwomen, young and old alike, had the gamblers strangefever in the expression of the eye, all
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