The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 83: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

—_ 66 REYNOLDS’ WORKS the diverging streets, and stopped at a door over which a brilhant gas-lamp was burning. Here they knocked and rung, and the door was instantaneously opened by a porter who was always on the alert within. They entered, and the door was immediately closed again. Nodding familiarly to the porter, who evidently knew them well, they proceeded along the passage to a second door, which even the most superficial observer might perceive to be of extraordinary strength and solidity; indeed, it was plated all over with . iron. A small wicket, about a foot square, was opened in this door, and a man’s countenance peered through for a moment; but recognizing the two noblemen, this second porter, to whom that countenance belonged, closed the wicket and proceeded to open the door itself. Heavy bolts were heard to draw back and chains to fall, thus evincing no ordinary precautions on the part of the proprietors of the gambling-house to barricade themselves against the incursions of the police. Passing on, and again nodding familiarly to the official, Harold and Edmund ascended a carpeted staircase, and reached a handsomely furnished room, of spacious dimen- sions, with the gaming-table in the middle and a well- spread sideboard at the extremity. This sideboard was covered with refreshments, including the choicest descrip- tions of French wines. ‘The table in the centre, unlike the old-fashioned rouge-el-noir tables, was square, or, rather, oblong, covered with green baize, and having billiard- pockets at the four corners and on each side. It was also contrived in such a manner that all around there were movable borders, or ledges, which might be raised so as to form the cushions of a regular billiard-table; but as these borders were now let down flat, by means of their hinges, the table presented an unbroken surface. The croupiers, or managers of the gaming-table, were seated in their proper places, with their rakes in their hands, and green shades over their eyes to screen them from the exceeding vividness of the light thrown by the gas- lamps suspended above the board. The bank, or stock of money, was contained in a large cash-box placed on the table before the senior croupier. But on the right hand of this individual was a very extraordinary-looking piece of mechanism, standing upon a pedestal. This instrument COMNICLOOOL<S, EC)