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But there are a vast number of husbands who are terrified at the mere idea of putting in practice these principles in their dealings with a woman. Such men as these prefer passing their lives in making huge efforts to become second-class chess-players, or to pocket adroitly a ball in billiards.
This has been chiefly through what are called by the Italian-French name of gambits. There is much prejudice, amongst a certain class of chess-players, against what is called "book-chess," but it rarely exists with players of the first rank. These gambits are as necessary to the first-rate player as are classifications to the naturalist.
All the inhabitants, except the very small children, are chess-players of more or less skill, and the game is to them what the world-renowned Passion-play is to the Oberammergauers. A great many notable men have visited Ströbeck at various times on account of its reputation as a chess-playing community.
This was when Jehan Nègre, the Lombard, came to Blois and played chess against all these chess-players, and won much money from my lord and his intimates; or when Baudet Harenc of Chalons made ballades before all these ballade-makers. It will not surprise the reader to learn they were all makers of ballades and rondels.
They were left perfectly free to amuse themselves as they liked. The drawing-rooms were given up to dancing; the picture gallery was devoted to chamber music. Chess-players and card-players found remote and quiet rooms especially prepared for them. People who cared for nothing but talking were accommodated to perfection in a sphere of their own.
But there are a vast number of husbands who are terrified at the mere idea of putting in practice these principles in their dealings with a woman. Such men as these prefer passing their lives in making huge efforts to become second-class chess-players, or to pocket adroitly a ball in billiards.
The two old men sat cross-legged on the ground, and the chessboard rested on a slab, like a stone table, between them. On one corner of the slab lay a heap of small, brown objects which Wang Chih took at first to be date stones; but after a time the chess-players ate one each, and put one in Wang Chih's mouth; and he found it was not a date stone at all.
Not choosing to engage with him, I referred him to Milicent. ‘She plays badly,’ said he, ‘I want to match my skill with yours. Come now! you can’t pretend you are reluctant to lay down your work. I know you never take it up except to pass an idle hour, when there is nothing better you can do.’ ‘But chess-players are so unsociable,’ I objected; ‘they are no company for any but themselves.’
Vulgar chess-players have to play their game out; nothing short of the brutality of an actual checkmate satisfies their dull apprehensions. But look at two masters of that noble game! White stands well enough, so far as you can see; but Red says, Mate in six moves; White looks, nods; the game is over.
His bosom friend, one Captain Ferragant, who is now living at the chateau, has no skill at chess, so the Count has been put to sending for this priest to come and play a game now and then, but the Count beats him too easily for any pleasure and the result of their games is that the Count only curses the rarity of good chess-players." "And so you think of proposing a game with him?"
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