_Fifth Trial of the Ring._
Play.
Most of the ladies who made the party with the Manimonbanda, play'd
with great eagerness; and it was not necessary to have Mangogul's
sagacity, to perceive it. The passion of gaming is one of those that
puts on the least disguise. It shews itself, whether in winning or
losing, by strong symptoms. "But whence proceeds this fury?" said he
within himself. "How can the ladies bear to pass whole nights round a
Pharaoh table, to tremble in expectation of an ace or a seven? This
phrensy injures their health and beauty, when they have any: without
reckoning the disorders into which I am sure it precipitates them. I
have a great desire," said he to Mirzoza in the ear, "to execute here a
thought just come into my head." "And what is this fine thought, which
you meditate?" said the favorite. "It is," answered Mangogul, "to turn
my ring on the most unbridled of these brelandiers, to interrogate her
Toy, and to transmit by that organ, a good advice to all those weak
husbands, who allow their wives to stake the honour and fortune of
their house on a card or a dye."
"I like this notion mightily," replied Mirzoza; "but know, Prince,
that the Manimonbanda has just now sworn by her Pagoda's, that she
would keep no more drawing-room nights, if ever she found herself again
exposed to the impudence of Engastrimuthes." "What have you said,
my soul's delight?" interrupted the Sultan. "I have," answered the
favorite, "made use of the name, which the modest Manimonbanda gives
to all those, whose Toys have the faculty of speech." "It is of the
invention of her stupid Bramin, who values himself upon knowing the
Greek, and being ignorant of the Congese language," replied the Sultan.
"However, with the Manimonbanda's leave, and that of her chaplain too,
I would desire to question Manilla's Toy; and it would be proper to
make the interrogatories here, for the edification of the neighbours."
"Prince," said Mirzoza, "if you take my word, you will spare the
Manimonbanda the uneasiness this proceeding must give her: which you
may do, without balking your own curiosity or mine. Why do you not go
to Manilla's house?" "I will go, since you advise," said Mangogul. "But
at what hour?" said the Sultana. "About midnight," answered the Sultan.
"At midnight she is at play," said the favorite. "I will put off my
visit then till two in the morning," replied Mangogul. "Prince, you
don't consider," rejoined the favorite: "'tis the most pleasant hour
of the four and twenty for female gamesters. If your highness will be
led by me, you will take Manilla in her first sleep, between seven and
eight."
Mangogul followed Mirzoza's advice, and visited Manilla about seven.
Her women were going to put her to bed. He judged by the sadness
predominant in her countenance, that she had play'd with bad luck. She
walk'd to and fro, stopp'd, lifted her eyes to heaven, stamp'd with her
foot, cover'd her eyes with her hands, and muttered somewhat, which
the Sultan could not understand. Her women, who were undressing her,
followed all these motions in panicks; and if they at length compassed
getting her into bed, it was not done without receiving harsh language
and something worse. Now Manilla is in bed, having made no other night
prayer, but some curses against a damned ace, which came seven times
successively to her loss. Scarcely had she closed her eyes, when
Mangogul levell'd his ring at her. Instantly her Toy exclaimed in a
sorrowful tone: "Now I am repiqued and capotted." The Sultan smiled to
hear that every thing about Manilla, even to her Toy, spoke gaming.
"No," continued the Toy, "I will never play against Abidul: he knows
nothing but tricking. Speak to me no more of Dares: with him one runs
the risq of some unlucky hits. Ismal is a pretty fair player, but every
body has him not that would. Mazulim was a treasure, before he fell
into the hands of Crissa. I don't know a more whimsical player than
Zulmis. Rica is less so; but the poor lad is run dry. What can one do
with Lazuli? The prettiest woman of Banza could not make him play high.
What a piddling player Mollius is! In truth, desolation has spread
among the gamesters: and e'er long we shall not know with whom to make
a party."
After this Jeremiad, the Toy fell to relating uncommon strokes, of
which it had been a witness; and excessively extoll'd the constancy and
resources of its mistress in bad luck. "Were it not for me," it said,
"Manilla would have ruin'd herself twenty times over. All the Sultan's
treasures would not have discharged the debts that I have paid. In one
match at breland she lost to a farmer of the revenue and an _abbé_,
above ten thousand ducats. She had nothing left but her jewels: but
her husband had so lately redeem'd them, that she dared not to venture
them. Nevertheless she took the cards, and had one of those seducing
hands, which fortune sends, when she is on the point of cutting your
throat. They urged her to speak. Manilla look'd at her cards, put her
hand into her purse, whence she was sure to pull nothing, return'd to
her cards, examined them again, but without determining. 'Does madam
stand it at last?' said the farmer. 'Yes; I stake,' said she,--'I
stake--I stake my Toy.' 'For what value?' replied Turcares. 'For a
hundred ducats,' said Manilla. The _abbé_ withdrew, esteeming the Toy
too high rated. Turcares declared at it: Manilla lost and paid.
"The silly vanity of possessing a titled Toy got the better of
Turcares. He offered to supply my mistress with play-money, on
condition that I should be subservient to his pleasures. The bargain
was struck in a moment. But as Manilla play'd high, and the farmer was
not inexhaustible, we soon saw the bottom of his coffers.
"My mistress had appointed a most brilliant party at Pharaoh. All her
acquaintance were invited. They were to punt with nothing under ducats.
We depended on the purse of Turcares. But the morning of this great
day, the rascal wrote us word that he had not a penny, and left us in
the utmost consternation. However, we must extricate ourselves, and
there was not a moment to be lost. We pitch'd on an old chief of the
Bramins, to whom we sold at a dear rate some complaisances, which he
had sollicited a long time. This sitting cost him double the income of
his ecclesiastical preferment.
"Turcares returned notwithstanding, in a few days. He said he was
excessively concerned that madam had taken him at a nonplus: he still
reckon'd on her goodness. 'Indeed you reckon ill, my dear,' replied
Manilla: 'I cannot with decency receive you more. When you were in a
condition to lend, the world knew why I admitted you: but now that you
are good for nothing, you would blast my honour.'
"Turcares was piqued at this discourse, and so was I: for he was
perhaps the best lad in Banza. He waved his usual politeness, and gave
Manilla to understand, that she cost him more than three opera girls,
who would have amused him better, 'Alas!' cried he most mournfully,
'why did I not stick to my little milliner? She loved me to folly. I
made her so happy with a silk gown.'----Manilla, who did not relish
comparisons, interrupted him in a tone, eno' to make one tremble, and
bade him begone in an instant. Turcares knew her, and chose rather to
return peaceably down stairs, than to leap thro' the window.
"After that, Manilla borrowed of another Bramin, who came, said she,
to administer comfort in her afflictions. The holy man succeeded the
farmer of the revenue, and we reimbursed him his comforts in the
same coin. She lost me several times more, and 'tis well known that
play-debts are the only ones that are paid among the _Beau Monde_.
"If Manilla happens to play with good luck, she is the most regular
woman in Congo. Excepting her play, she takes surprising care of her
conduct: she is never heard to swear an oath: she entertains well:
she pays her mercer and other tradesmen, is liberal to her servants,
redeems her nicknacks sometimes, and caresses her lap dog and her
husband: but thirty times a month she risks these happy dispositions
and her money on an ace of spades. Such is the life she leads, and will
lead: and God knows how many times yet I shall be pawn'd."
Here the Toy ceased, and Mangogul went to take repose. He was awaken'd
at five in the afternoon, and went to the opera, according to a promise
made to the favorite.