o find that every throw was
better than the one I had in the raffle. I thereupon said--'Now I'll
throw for mamma.' I threw thirty-six, which won the watch! My mother had
been a large subscriber to the building of the church, and the priest
said that my winning the watch for her was quite PROVIDENTIAL. According
to M. Houdin's authority, however, it seems that I only got into
'vein'--but how I came to pause and defer throwing the last chance, has
always puzzled me respecting this incident of my childhood, which made
too great an impression ever to be effaced.

5. 'There are persons who are constantly pursued by bad luck. To such I
say--NEVER PLAY.

6. 'Stubborness at play is ruin.

7. 'Remember that Fortune does not like people to be overjoyed at her
favours, and that she prepares bitter deceptions for the imprudent, who
are intoxicated by success.'

Such are the chief axioms of a most experienced gamester, and M. Houdin
sums up the whole into the following:--

8. 'Before risking your money at play, you must deeply study your "vein"
and the different probabilities of the game--termed the maturity of the
chances.'

M. Robert-Houdin got all this precious information from a gamester named
Raymond. It appears that the first meeting between him and this man
was at a subscription-ball, where the sharper managed to fleece him
and others to a considerable amount, contriving a dexterous escape when
detected. Houdin afterwards fell in with him at Spa, where he found him
in the greatest poverty, and lent him a small sum--to practise his grand
theories as just explained--but which he lost--whereupon Houdin advised
him 'to take up a less dangerous occupation.' He then appears to have
revealed to Houdin the entertaining particulars which form the bulk of
his book, so dramatically written. A year afterwards Houdin unexpectedly
fell in with him again; but this time the fellow was transformed into
what he called 'a demi-millionnaire,' having succeeded to a large
fortune by the death of his brother, who died intestate. According
to Houdin the following was the man's declaration at the auspicious
meeting:--'I have,' said Raymond, 'completely renounced gaming. I am
rich enough, and care no longer for fortune. And yet,' he added proudly,
'if I now cared for the thing, how I could BREAK those bloated banks in
their pride, and what a glorious vengeance I could take of BAD LUCK and
its inflexible agents! But my heart is too full of my ha