Ina Klosking discerned the change, and backed the winning color, then
doubled on it twice. She did this so luckily three or four times that,
though her single stake was at first only forty pounds, gold seemed to
grow around her, and even notes to rise and make a cushion. She, too, was
excited, though not openly; her gloves were off, and her own lovely hand,
the whitest in the room, placed the stakes. You might see a red spot on
her cheek-bone, and a strange glint in her deep eye; but she could not do
anything that was not seemly.
She played calmly, boldly, on the system that had cleared out Ned
Severne, and she won heavily, because she was in luck. It was her hour
and her vein.
By this time Zoe and Fanny were cleaned out; and looked in amazement at
the Klosking, and wondered how she did it.
Miss Maitland, at her last sovereign, began to lean on the victorious
Klosking, and bet as she did: her pile increased. The dove caught sight
of her game, and backed her luck. The creole backed her heavily.
Presently there was an extraordinary run on black. Numbers were caught.
The Klosking won three times, and lost three times; but the bets she won
were double bets, and those she lost were single.
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