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Show GAINED AND LOST FORTUNES English Dandies Played for High Stakes in the Latter Part of Eighteenth Century. Almack's was one of the famous old gambling clubs of London. It was at I s height lu the latter part of the Eighteenth century, and the play there was enormous. It was not uncommon for the losses in a single night to amount to upwards of $100,000. The young men, dandies all, who intended in-tended to play set about the matter with a great deal of ceremony. They wore straw hats with wide brims, llowcr and ribbon trimmed; the brims intended to keep the light from their eyes, and that the spectators might not see their emotions they often wore masks. They also often took off their nifties and silk or satin coats and wore in their place a rough great-coat or else wound leather bands about their arms to protect the delicate lace and hues of their coats from the soil of the table. At each player's side was a small table that held their tea, wine cakes and rolls of rouleaus or chips. Mosi of the players wore long curls, eyeglasses eye-glasses mounted on long sticks, were perfumed, powdered and painted like court ladies, and some of them even affected a mincing ladylike walk. But those who made the error of thinking them ladylike in their fighting ability made a mistake that often cost a life, for the gay young sparks would draw-swords draw-swords at the drop of a hat and meet death with a laugh. |