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The uncertainty and quick shifting of partners a thing which the constancy of whist abhors; the dazzling supremacy and regal investiture of Spadille absurd, as she justly observed, in the pure aristocracy of whist, where his crown and garter give him no proper power above his brother-nobility of the Aces; the giddy vanity, so taking to the inexperienced, of playing alone: above all, the overpowering attractions of a Sans Prendre Vole, to the triumph of which there is certainly nothing parallel or approaching, in the contingencies of whist; all these, she would say, make quadrille a game of captivation to the young and enthusiastic.
Even Miss Pole quite forgot to say "my lady," and "your ladyship," and said "Basto! ma'am"; "you have Spadille, I believe," just as quietly as if we had never held the great Cranford Parliament on the subject of the proper mode of addressing a peeress.
Even Miss Barker, while declaring she did not know Spadille from Manille, was evidently hankering to take a hand. The dilemma was soon put an end to by a singular kind of noise.
This one, and another, were, as I learned afterward, on their way through the town to join General Gage. There was evidently some dispute as to the cards. I heard high-pitched voices, and "spadille," "basto," "matador" all the queer words of quadrille, their favoured game. The lieutenant was bending over Mrs. Perguson's chair.
"No, I am a good Virginian." "You are an admirer of the Established Church." The Governor whistled. "That's it!" he said. "You are the front of the aristocracy." "My dear friend," said his Excellency, "ever since a blackguard in Paris defeated me in a fair spadille combat breast to breast, card to card, by pure genius I have been a republican.
"Done!" said Sir Asinus with great readiness; and they sat down to play. In two hours Sir Asinus was sitting at spadille in the exceedingly undress costume of shirt, pantaloons, and silk stockings. His coat was thrown on a chair; his worsted shoes were in one corner of the room; and his cocked hat lay upon his waistcoat at the Governor's feet.
Toys and merry-makings in childhood love and its absurdities in youth spadille and basto in age, shall succeed each other as objects of pursuit flowers and butterflies in spring butterflies and thistle-down in summer withered leaves in autumn and winter all pursued, all caught, all flung aside. Stand apart; your fortune is said."
The Governor took extreme delight in these practical jokes. He had won these articles of Sir Asinus's clothing one after another; and now he was about to commence with the remainder. "Look! spadille, the ace!" he cried; "I have your neckcloth." And his Excellency burst into a roar of laughter. Sir Asinus slowly and sadly drew off his neckcloth, and deposited it on the pile.
"There's some immature champagne in the cellar," he said. "No," I replied, thinking aloud; "too slow, too slow." He endeavoured to pacify me. "Let me teach you a game," he said. He taught me one he taught me several. We began with "Spadille," we ended with "Halma" and "Snap," for parliament points. That is to say, instead of counters we used M.Ps.
Of course there are no such people now; and human nature is very much changed in the last hundred years. At any rate, card-playing is greatly out of mode: about that there can be no doubt: and very likely there are not six ladies of fashion in London who know the difference between Spadille and Manille.
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