The corner answering to theirs at the other end was
the part of the table most removed from their sight, and that on
which their eyes fell last. As Lady Glencora stood she could hardly
see,--indeed, at first she could not see,--one or two who were
congregated at this spot. Mr Palliser, who was behind her, could not
see them at all. But to Alice,--and to Mr Grey, had he cared about
it,--every face at the table was visible except the faces of those
who were immediately close to them. Before long Alice's attention
was riveted on the action and countenance of one young man who sat
at that other corner. He was leaning, at first listlessly, over the
table, dressed in a velveteen jacket, and with his round-topped hat
brought far over his eyes, so that she could not fully see his face.
But she had hardly begun to observe him before he threw back his
hat, and taking some pieces of gold from under his left hand, which
lay upon the table, pushed three or four of them on to one of the
divisions marked on the cloth. He seemed to show no care, as others
did, as to the special spot which they should occupy. Many were very
particular in this respect, placing their ventures on the lines, so
as to share the fortunes of two compartments, or sometimes of four;
or they divided their coins, taking three or four numbers, selecting
the numbers with almost grotesque attention to some imagined rule of
their own. But this man let his gold go all together, and left it
where his half-stretched rake deposited it by chance. Alice could
not but look at his face. His eyes she could see were bloodshot, and
his hair, when he pushed back his hat, was rough and dishevelled;
but still there was that in his face which no woman could see and
not regard. It was a face which at once prepossessed her in his
favour,--as it had always prepossessed all others. On this occasion
he had won his money, and Alice saw him drag it in as lazily as he
had pushed it out.

"Do you see that little Frenchman?" said Lady Glencora. "He has
just made half a napoleon, and has walked off with it. Isn't it
interesting? I could stay here all the night." Then she turned round
to whisper something to her husband, and Alice's eyes again fell on
the face of the man at the other end of the table. After he had won
his money, he had allowed the game to go on for a turn without any
action on his part. The gold again went under his hand, and he
lounged forward with his hat over his eyes. One