by Ella Edon
“But I do,” he said smiling malevolently. “First stop, the Egypt Crypt in Cheapside.”
“Then, let us go there.”
He paused. “I do have a small issue, however,” he said. “I am somewhat impecunious at the moment.”
“Then you shall gamble with my money,” she said.
“Oh, I couldn’t,” he replied.
“You can, and you will,” said Garance. “I have over a thousand pounds here in bills and coins, and I insist that you risk it. It means next to nothing to me, as I can raise it with a single concert.”
“That is very generous of you, Garance,” said Jonathan. “And I shall endeavor to use it with my skills at numbers.”
“I have no doubt you shall be victorious,” she replied, embracing him with ardor. “We are long overdue at the Egypt Crypt,” she added.
Chapter Sixteen
The Egypt Crypt
At the Egypt Crypt, Jonathan and Garance arrived without ceremony. Nobody in the room seemed to recognize her, or perhaps they were so wrapped up in their own affairs that they did not have the inclination to look up and see who she was. Jonathan approached the Pharaoh table, with ten sovereigns in his pocket.
“What’s this game?” he said in a dull voice.
There was a man wearing very fancy clothing standing at the table. He looked up at Jonathan and smiled. “It’s a simple game,” he said. “You simply put your counter on a number or between two numbers, or indeed between four cards, and when the dealer turns over the card and it is one of yours, you can win.”
“Seems quite simple,” said Jonathan. “May I give it a go?”
“I think that would be delightful,” said the man at the table.
“Now let me see,” said Jonathan. “I shall put mine on the three.”
“Well, the three has already been played and so there is no betting on that one.”
“I see,” said Jonathan. “Well, then, which card can I bet on?”
“All the others,” said the man.
“Very well then,” said Jonathan. “How do I purchase a counter?”
“I’ll sell it to you, guv’nah,” said the dealer. “How much do you want?”
“Why I should think five sovereigns should cover my curiosity,” he said. “What do you think, Bella?” he said to Garance, who was standing behind him.
“That is a lot of money, Jimmy,” she said to Jonathan.
“It makes it more enjoyable that way,” he said with a giggle. He handed over five sovereigns and was given five counters. “I’ll put it right here,” he went on, placing four of the five sovereigns in between the 6 through 9 on the table. The dealer smiled, thinking he had a fool whose money would soon be parted from him. He turned up a ten, and looked at Jonathan. “Sorry mate,” he smiled, raking the counters toward him. “Bad luck for you today it seems.”
“That was delightfully exciting,” said Jonathan. “Perhaps I should play again.”
“I don’t think we can afford that, unless I sing for our supper,” said Garance.
“You do that, Bella,” said Jonathan, placing his last counter on the 9.
Garance began to sing quietly, and as she did, the place went silent. Her voice was beautiful and haunting and the whole place was distracted.
The dealer looked at her and smiled. “Beautiful,” he said, turning over the 9 card. “Looks like you won, mate,” said the dealer, handing a handful of counters to Jonathan. It was clear that he was distracted, and unable to think clearly. Jonathan then put six tokens on the 4, and smiled as Garance continued to sing. Some of the other games stopped altogether. She was singing a popular English tune called “The Foggy Dew.” This song was popular and all the men in the place knew it well. She sang:
When I was a bachelor, I lived all alone, I worked at the weaver's trade, And the only, only thing that I ever did wrong Was to woo a fair young maid. I wooed her in the wintertime, And in the summer, too, And the only, only thing that I did that was wrong, Was to keep her from the foggy, foggy dew.
She sang softly at first, but then grew louder and more passionate, as the dealer turned over the 4, and shelled out a large number of the counters. Moving on, Jonathan had a sense that nobody was paying attention to his betting, and so he bet on the 5, but only put two counters on it, assuming it would lose. And it lost, too. Knowing the way the game now worked, he placed half his counters on the 6 and as Garance continued singing, the dealer mouthing the words with her, he turned over the 6, and shelled out a huge pile of counters. Jonathan moved to the cash out table as Garance was still singing and collected his winnings in sovereigns. He moved to the door, as Garance finished her song, and raucous cheers and applause accompanied her as she joined him at the door.
They walked down the narrow nameless street, filled with disreputable people, prostitutes, panhandlers, beggars, and what seemed to be thieves skulking in the shadows. A hansom cab was trundling by as they reached the corner of Cheapside. Jonathan managed to hail it and open the door for Garance. “Take us to St. Paul’s Cathedral,” he said, tossing a sovereign to the driver.
“Right away, sir!” said the driver, in shock at the overpayment.
While Jonathan was unsure if there were people following them, he also did not want to risk this danger, and simply waited until they had reached St. Paul’s to say a word. The carriage pulled up to the front doors of the cathedral, whose doors were open, and he leapt down, helping Garance to descend as well. The two of them went into the cathedral and took a seat in the pews near the back. There was almost nobody there, as it was evening and the place was quite dark. Jonathan put down the sack he was carrying the money in, and began to count the winnings. First, he handed ten sovereigns to Garance, and then smiled as he began to count the rest. It added up to one hundred and thirty-seven pounds. “That was far too simple,” he said.
“It was, but with the diversion, I feel we made off with the money without anyone really suspecting. I propose we go back and try it again tomorrow.”
“Perhaps it is unwise to go to the same place. I heard someone talking about a gambling den in Piccadilly called The Grapes, where I feel we would be less conspicuous with our fine clothing. This place is operated by a fellow named Crockford who is known to be very honest. I would prefer, myself, to be in the company of a better sort.”
“I understand that sentiment,” she said. “And I suppose larger sums of money would be less conspicuous too.”
“Precisely!” he said. “In that club, I shall be able to wager against other players so as not to raise suspicion. I think the situation can become frightening when one threatens the bank itself.”
“Yes, and the wealthy gamblers, if the newspaper is correct, are the ones who are more willing to part with their winnings.”
What o’clock is it now?” asked Garance.
Jonathan looked at his gold watch, which was hanging from a chain in his waistcoat pocket, and said, “It is just past nine in the evening.”
“In that case, I think we might want to make our way there. What do you say? We can try this system out with, perhaps one half of the winnings from tonight.”
Jonathan furrowed his brows. “You do realize that everything I do is far more exciting when you are with me.”
She smiled at him, leaned over to him and kissed him tenderly.
“Hello, young lovers,” said an unfamiliar voice. The two of them looked up to see a man wearing a clerical collar and a long black ecclesiastical robe. He was smiling. “Perhaps you may want to pray in a slightly more holy and modest manner,” he said calmly.
“I beg your pardon, Father,” said Jonathan, rising and moving to shake his hand. “We merely sought shelter here for a few minutes. We shall be leaving presently.”
“Do not fear the church, young man,” he said. “I simply would prefer that the love you show in this edifice be the love of God.”
“Of course,” said Jonathan as he knelt down and prayed.
Outside, Jonathan h
ailed another hansom cab. As he came near, he said, “We would like to go to Piccadilly Circus. Can you take us there?”
“Of course, sir. In ten minutes, I shall have you there.”
The two of them sat back in the hansom cab, and the joy that filled both of their hearts was immeasurable. They had experienced success and love, talent, and luck all this evening and neither of them wanted this to end. Jonathan took Garance’s hand and held it close to his heart. She was likewise overjoyed at the adventure, and although she cared nothing for money, and made that abundantly clear, she was very happy to allow Jonathan to become so happy. He was, of course, at the beginning of a long row to hoe, as the expression went. The family fortune had at one time been valued at about forty thousand guineas, and now was nearly gone. The property and land were still in the family hands and the rates were still being paid to the estate by the farmers on the land, or none of this would be possible.
Thinking about the joy that had accompanied them so far this evening gave Jonathan the desire to be with Garance in every way. He looked at her, and scooped her up in his arms, embracing her with all his might. “I have never felt the feelings you have elicited from me tonight, my darling,” he said. “And I dare say that if I can continue this winning streak, we shall be married before the month is out!”
Garance, shocked, pushed him back to his own seat. “Jonathan!” she said tears welling in her eyes. “I had no idea that you wanted to marry me!”
“Good Lord, Garance! Why else would I go to these extraordinary lengths to win you over, to create a situation wherein we could be married?”
“I do not know,” she said, breathing heavily. “I adore you too, my young Lord, but I do not think I could ever be your lady.”
“Why in the world not?” he asked.
“The lifestyle is not in accordance with my own,” she said, trembling. “I am a performer. I love to sing. I love to have people listen to my music and I love interpreting music for them. Is it not true that a lady cannot work if she is a member of the aristocracy?”
“Well,” he said slowly. “That is the tradition. Of course, traditions must change. And although I shall be an earl, I do not feel that anyone can dictate what my wife can or cannot do.”
“Are you certain?”
“Well,” he said, sighing deeply. “I must confess, that I spoke before I could really think this all through. I want to make sure that I can still have my fortune before I think of anything further. And look, we are here at The Grapes!”
And sure enough, the carriage stopped in front of the club, which was far grander that the Egypt Crypt. It had the look of a gentleman’s club, with its modern looking facade and its grand entrance.
Once again, Jonathan gave the coachman a sovereign. “I say, governor, do you want me to stay ‘ere to take you ‘ome again afterwards?”
“This is a good idea, Jonathan,” said Garance. “What if we have to leave in a hurry?”
Jonathan nodded. “Yes sir, that would be grand. And I thank you for thinking of it. I shall give you another sovereign if you return us home at the end of the evening. Please though, can you keep the horse haltered and yourself in the driver’s seat, in case we need to escape?”
“I am your servant,” said the driver.
The two of them decided not to make a grand entrance, citing the key to good gambling as being the element of surprise. Jonathan had the advantage of not being well-known in London, although the same could not be said of Garance. For within five minutes of their arrival, an elderly gentleman had spotted Garance and accosted her while she was preparing to serenade the gamblers. He engaged her in conversation, preventing her from her distraction, and Jonathan began to bet against the other players. Several times he won, but overall, he was doing poorly. There was a waiter who kept bringing him glasses of brandy, and being the polite gentleman he was, he could not refuse. He drank several glasses and was feeling his judgment cloud. He had bet several times, losing thirty pounds, and he began to get frustrated. In his mind, he was beginning to understand how his father could have bet the family fortune. There was a tendency, logical or not, to feel that puck was on your side, especially as things got worse and worse.
And then, getting his wits together, he wagered a ten-pound bet with one of the other players, placing a penny on the other gentleman’s wager counter. When it won, the penny turned it to a loss, and the gentleman became angry. “You bloody fool, you’ve ruined my winning streak!” said the gentleman, who was looking increasingly nervous and sweaty.
“I am terribly sorry sir; I was under the impression that this was the way the game works.”
He took half of his winnings and placed them on the six, knowing that his odds of winning were one in two, the other cards, other than the nine, having been played. “Why do you not place all your counters on the nine, sir?” asked Jonathan to the gentleman.
The gentleman looked at him as though he were a cheat. “I daresay I should be a fool, were I to take your advice after you just fleeced me, my friend,” he said.
“Bets are closed,” said the dealer. The card turned over and it was, in fact, a nine. “Sorry mate,” said the dealer to Jonathan as he saw his winnings shrink to half their amount. Jonathan sighed and turned to Garance who was surrounded by men, all of whom were flattering her. She appeared to have forgotten about her part in this plan, and Jonathan, despite himself, was annoyed. He approached her. “Mademoiselle Monteux. Our hansom awaits outside. May I escort you home?”
“Certainly,” she said, moving out of the circle of admirers. She was in a very good mood. Jonathan, having lost half the winnings he had made that evening in the previous five minutes, partly because she had not distracted anyone, was in less of a good mood. Nevertheless, he had made over fifty pounds that night, and although it was proving to be a difficult task, he was fairly sure that he could do this again, gradually increasing his fortune.
He took the hansom cab back to her home at St. Martin-in-the-fields, and when they arrived at her door, she looked at him, somewhat confused, and asked him, “Would you like to come in for a visit?”
“Perhaps it is best that I go home and sleep. I am very tired and somewhat confused about the events tonight. May I call on you tomorrow?”
Although she looked disappointed, she smiled and said, “Of course. I should love to see you tomorrow.”
“Very well, then, my love. I bid you goodnight.” He leaned to her and kissed her on the hand.
“Goodnight Jonathan, my Lord!” she said with a smile. “I shall count the minutes until we meet again.”
With this, she descended from the carriage and entered the home. Jonathan watched her leave, his heart full to overflowing with love for her.
“Please sir, carry me homeward, if you would be so kind,” he said to the hansom cab driver.
“Righto, guv’nah,” said the driver, whipping the horses into a run. Jonathan sat back in reverie and remembered the moments of excitement and joy that he had experienced that evening. The only thing that worried him was the fact that she had been overwhelmed with attention and had forgotten to sing. He had wanted to hear her sing himself, and so he was disappointed. On the other hand, there was no use in thinking about what he could have accomplished had she sung. The other thought that occurred to him was that Pharaoh was almost completely a game of chance, and perhaps it would be better if he were to play a game of skill. He had noticed that there was a cribbage table at The Grapes, and he was a masterful player at cribbage. Perhaps this was a better plan, he posited.
By the time he reached his home, he had formulated a plan to win back his fortune.
Chapter Seventeen
Bubbles
The following day, Jonathan awoke with a spring in his step. The previous night, though it did not restore his fortune, was a sign to him that there was a way to do it, and that way was to take advantage of the tenor of the times. These days, as he read about in the morning newspaper, many people were gambling, and
losing vast sums of money. There were companies trading in exotic things like beaver pelts and spices, that had had created similar situations. He had studied the South Sea Bubble that had happened in the 1720s, in which many people had become so convinced that the company, which was called the Governor and Company of Adventurers of the merchants of Great Britain, had formed a company that was held in part by the Crown and in part by individual investors convinced that trade with Spanish America would yield them vast sums, despite the known fact that this would be impossible owing to the state of war between Great Britain and Spain in the War of the Spanish Succession. Never mind the fact that things were known, he reasoned, as long as there was the possibility of great profit. To Jonathan, this seemed a fitting comparison to the many gambling dens in London, which offered the possibility of great wealth. There was something very alluring about the hope of great wealth.