PHILO.

    [1] As the Palais Royal may be considered the central point of the
        maisons de jeu, or gambling-houses, it will not be irrelevant
        to give a brief sketch of them:—­

The apartments which they occupy are on the first floor, and are very spacious.  Upon ascending the staircase is an antechamber, in which are persons called bouledogues (bull-dogs), whose office it is to prevent the entrance of certain marked individuals.  In the same room are men to receive hats, umbrellas, &c., who give a number, which is restored upon going out.

The antechamber leads to the several gaming rooms, furnished with tables, round which are seated the individuals playing, called pontes (punters), each of whom is furnished with a card and a pin to mark the rouge and noir, or the number, in order to regulate his game.  At each end of the table is a man called bout de table, who pushes up to the bank the money lost.  In the middle of the table is the man who draws the cards.  These persons, under the reign of Louis XIV., were called coupeurs de bourses (purse-cutters); they are now denominated tailleurs.  After having drawn the cards, they mate known the result as follows:—­Rouge gagne et couleur perd.—­Rouge perd et couleur gagne.

        At roulette, the tailleurs are those who put the ball in
        motion and announce the result.

        At passe-dix, every time the dice are thrown, the tailleurs
        announce how many the person playing has gained.

        Opposite the tailleur, and on his right and left, are persons
        called croupiers, whose business it is to pay and to collect
        money.

Behind the tailleurs and croupiers are inspectors, to see that too much is not given in payment, besides an indefinite number of secret inspectors, who are only known to the proprietors.  There are also maitres de maison, who are called to decide disputes; and messieurs de la chambre, who furnish cards to the pontes, and serve them with beer, &c., which is to be had gratis.  Moreover, there is a grand maitre, to whom the apartments, tables, &c., belong.

When a stranger enters these apartments, he will soon find near him some obliging men of mature age, who, with an air of prudence and sagacity, proffer their advice.  As these advisers perfectly understand their own game, if their proteges lose, the mentors vanish; but it they win, the counsellor comes nearer, congratulates the happy player, insinuates that it was by following his advice that fortune smiled on him, and finally succeeds in borrowing a small sum of money on honour.  Many of these loungers have no other mode of living.

        There is likewise another room, furnished with sofas, called
        chamber des blesses, which is far from being the most
        thinly peopled.