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In all the gaming houses of any note there were unprincipled and
reckless persons paid by the hellites, employed in various
capacities, and for various purposes. Sometimes they played for
the proprietors against any one who chose to put down his money;
at other times, when there were no other individuals playing at
all, they pretended to be strangers themselves, and got up sham
games with the proprietors, with the view of practising a
deception on any strangers who might be in the room, and by that
means inducing them to put down their money. They were dressed
in the most fashionable manner, always exhibiting a profusion of
jewellery, and living in great splendour when they have any
particular person in their eye, in the various hotels throughout
town.[50]
[50] Grant, Sketches in London.
In some cases, in the higher class of gaming establishments, the
Greeks, or decoys, being men of title or considerable standing in
society, did not receive a fixed salary for seducing young men of
fortune, but being in every case very needy men, they nominally
borrowed, from time to time, large sums of money from the hell-
keepers. It was, however, perfectly understood on both sides
that the amount so borrowed was never to be repaid.
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