Men of all ranks and conditions, plainly or elaborately clad, were grouped together under this magic spell of silence and attention.

The tables before them were covered with cards and loose heaps of gold and silver.

A clicking, the rattling of an ivory ball, and the frequent, formal, lazy reiteration of some unintelligible sentence was all that he heard.

But by a sudden instinct he UNDERSTOOD it all.

It was a gambling saloon! Encouraged by the decorous stillness, and the fact that everybody appeared too much engaged to notice him, the boy drew timidly beside one of the tables.