Thegamblerstoleoffwithalightfoot，resolvingtoplayatthreedifferenttimes，threehoursapart，andeachtimeforonlytenminutes。Thorough-goingplayers，eversince1786，thetimeatwhichpublicgaming-houseswereestablished，——thetrueplayerswhomthegovernmentdreaded，andwhoateup，touseagamblingterm，themoneyofthebank，——neverplayedinanyotherway。Butbeforeattainingthismeasureofexperiencetheylostfortunes。Thewholescienceofgambling-housesandtheirgainsrestsuponthreethings:theimpassibilityofthebank；theevenresultscalled“drawngames，“whenhalfthemoneygoestothebank；andthenotoriousbadfaithauthorizedbythegovernment，inrefusingtoholdorpaytheplayer’sstakesexceptoptionally。Inaword，thegambling-house，whichrefusesthegameofarichandcoolplayer，devoursthefortuneofthefoolishandobstinateone，whoiscarriedawaybytherapidmovementofthemachineryofthegame。Thecroupiersat“trenteetquarante“movenearlyasfastastheball。
Philippehadendedbyacquiringthesang-froidofacommandinggeneral，whichenableshimtokeephiseyeclearandhismindpromptinthemidstoftumult。HehadreachedthatstatesmanshipofgamblingwhichinParis，letussayinpassing，isthelivelihoodofthousandswhoarestrongenoughtolookeverynightintoanabysswithoutgettingavertigo。Withhisfourhundredfrancs，Philipperesolvedtomakehisfortunethatday。Heputaside，inhisboots，twohundredfrancs，andkepttheothertwohundredinhispocket。Atthreeo’clockhewenttothegambling-housewhichisnowturnedintothetheatreofthePalais-Royal，wherethebankacceptedthelargestsums。Hecameouthalfanhourlaterwithseventhousandfrancsinhispocket。ThenhewenttoseeFlorentine，paidthefivehundredfrancswhichheowedtoher，andproposedasupperattheRocherdeCancaleafterthetheatre。Returningtohisgame，alongtheruedeSentier，hestoppedatGiroudeau’snewspaper-officetonotifyhimofthegala。Bysixo’clockPhilippehadwontwenty-fivethousandfrancs，andstoppedplayingattheendoftenminutesashehadpromisedhimselftodo。
Thatnight，byteno’clock，hehadwonseventy-fivethousandfrancs。
Afterthesupper，whichwasmagnificent，Philippe，bythattimedrunkandconfident，wentbacktohisplayatmidnight。Indefianceoftherulehehadimposeduponhimself，heplayedforanhouranddoubledhisfortune。Thebankers，fromwhom，byhissystemofplaying，hehadextractedonehundredandfiftythousandfrancs，lookedathimwithcuriosity。
“Willhegoawaynow，orwillhestay？“theysaidtoeachotherbyaglance。“Ifhestaysheislost。“