Page 12 - Another Twist in the Tale

came to throw away extremely large fortunes, playing hazard and faro and rouge et noir at the gaming tables. Peers of the realm and foolish young pigeons and venerable members of parliament had been known to lose reputations, fortunes – nay, entire inheritances – on a game of cards or a roll of the dice under the roof of the Black Jack.
Baggage worked in the kitchen, where she had been brought she knew not when nor why, at some time perhaps in the same hazy period of history when her name had been lost. Here she was employed under the strict auspices of the cook and housekeeper Mrs Spanks, a tall, hot poker of a woman whose motto was “Spare the spoon and spoil the child” (the spoon in question being that giant wooden implement with which Baggage came into regular contact).
Also resident at the Black Jack were Madam Manzoni herself, Mr Scapegrace – her lawyer and accountant – and half a dozen “Butterflies”. These beautiful painted creatures fluttered through the gaming rooms where they dealt cards for extremely high stakes, poured whisky in extremely liberal measure and encouraged extremely foolhardy gentlemen into parting with more money at the tables than they could afford. Meanwhile the Butterflies learned to count cards, cheat at poker,
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