""My hair shall remain dishevelled from this day, until Bhima shall have slain Duhsasana and drank his blood; and then he shall tie up my hair again whilst his hands are dripping with the blood of Duhsasana.""
Such was the great gambling match at Hastinapur in the heroic age of India. It appears there can be little doubt of the truth of the incident, although the verisimilitude would have been more complete without the perpetual winning of the cheat Sakuni--which would be calculated to arouse the suspicion of Yudhishthira, and which could scarcely be indulged in by a professional cheat, mindful of the suspicion it would excite.
Throughout the narrative, however, there is a truthfulness to human nature, and a truthfulness to that particular phase of human nature which is pre-eminently manifested by a high-minded race in its primitive stage of civilization.
To our modern minds the main interest of the story begins from the moment that Draupadi was lost; but it must be remembered that among that ancient people, where women were chiefly prized on sensual grounds, such stakes were evidently recognized.
The conduct of Draupadi herself on the occasion shows that she was by no means unfamiliar with the idea: she protested--not on the ground of sentiment or matrimonial obligation--but solely on what may be called a technical point of law, namely, "Had Yudhishthira become a slave before he staked his wife upon the last game?" For, of course, having ceased to be a freeman, he had no right to stake her liberty.
The concluding scene of the drama forms an impressive figure in the mind of the Hindoo. The terrible figure of Draupadi, as she dishevels her long black hair, is the very impersonation of revenge; and a Hindoo audience never fails to shudder at her fearful vow--that the straggling tresses shall never again be tied up until the day when Bhima shall have fulfilled his vow, and shall then bind them up whilst his fingers are still dripping with the blood of Duhsasana.
The avenging battle subsequently ensued. Bhima struck down Duhsasana with a terrible blow of his mace, saying,--"This day I fulfil my vow against the man who insulted Draupadi!" Then setting his foot on the breast of Duhsasana, he drew his sword, and cut off the head of his enemy; and holding his two hands to catch the blood, he drank it off, crying out, "Ho! ho! Never did I taste anything in this world so sweet as this blood."
This staking of wives by gamblers is a curious subject. The practice may be said to have been universal, having furnished cases among civilized as well as barbarous nations. Of course the Negroes of Africa stake their wives and children; according to Schouten, a Chinese staked his wife and children, and lost them; Paschasius Justus states that a Venetian staked his wife; and not a hundred years ago certain debauchees at Paris played at dice for the possession of a celebrated courtesan.
But this is an old thing. Hegesilochus, and other rulers of Rhodes, were accustomed to play at dice for the honour of the most distinguished ladies of that island--the agreement being that the party who lost had to bring to the arms of the winner the lady designated by lot to that indignity.(18)
(18) Athen. lib. XI. cap. xii.
There are traditions of such stakes having been laid and lost by husbands in _England;_ and a remarkable case of the kind will be found related in Ainsworth"s "Old Saint Paul"s," as having occurred during the Plague of London, in the year 1665. There can be little doubt that it is founded on fact; and the conduct of the English wife, curiously enough, bears a striking resemblance to that of Draupadi in the Indian narrative.
A Captain Disbrowe of the king"s body-guard lost a large sum of money to a notorious debauchee, a gambler and bully, named Sir Paul Parravicin.
The latter had made an offensive allusion to the wife of Captain Disbrowe, after winning his money; and then, picking up the dice-box, and spreading a large heap of gold on the table, he said to the officer who anxiously watched his movements:--"I mentioned your wife, Captain Disbrowe, not with any intention of giving you offence, but to show you that, although you have lost your money, you have still a valuable stake left."
"I do not understand you, Sir Paul," returned Disbrowe, with a look of indignant surprise.
"To be plain, then," replied Parravicin, "I have won from you two hundred pounds--all you possess. You are a ruined man, and as such, will run any hazard to retrieve your losses. I give you a last chance. I will stake all my winnings--nay, double the amount--against your wife. You have a key of the house you inhabit, by which you admit yourself at all hours; so at least I am informed. If I win, that key shall be mine. I will take my chance of the rest. Do you understand me now?"
"I do," replied the young man, with concentrated fury. "I understand that you are a villain. You have robbed me of my money, and would rob me of my honour."
"These are harsh words, sir," replied the knight calmly; "but let them pa.s.s. We will play first, and fight afterwards. But you refuse my challenge?"
"It is false!" replied Disbrowe, fiercely, "I accept it." And producing a key, he threw it on the table. "My life is, in truth, set on the die,"
he added, with a desperate look; "for if I lose, I will not survive my shame."
"You will not forget our terms," observed Parravicin. "I am to be your representative to-night. You can return home to-morrow."
"Throw, sir,--throw," cried the young man, fiercely.
"Pardon me," replied the knight; "the first cast is with you. A single main decides it."
"Be it so," returned Disbrowe, seizing the bow. And as he shook the dice with a frenzied air, the bystanders drew near the table to watch the result.
"Twelve!" cried Disbrowe, as he removed the box. "My honour is saved! My fortune retrieved--Huzza!"
"Not so fast," returned Parravicin, shaking the box in his turn. "You were a little hasty," he added, uncovering the dice. "I am twelve too.
We must throw again."
"This is to decide," cried the young officer, rattling the dice,--"Six!"
Parravicin smiled, took the box, and threw _TEN_.
"Perdition!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Disbrowe, striking his brow with his clenched hand. "What devil tempted me to my undoing?... My wife trusted to this profligate!... Horror! It must not be!"
"It is too late to retract," replied Parravicin, taking up the key, and turning with a triumphant look to his friends.
Disbrowe noticed the smile, and, stung beyond endurance, drew his sword, and called to the knight to defend himself. In an instant pa.s.ses were exchanged. But the conflict was brief. Fortune, as before, declared herself in favour of Parravicin. He disarmed his a.s.sailant, who rushed out of the room, uttering the wildest e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.ns of rage and despair.
* * * * * * The winner of the key proceeded at once to use. He gained admittance to the captain"s house, and found his way to the chamber of his wife, who was then in bed. At first mistaken for her husband Parravicin heard words of tender reproach for his lateness; and then, declaring himself, he belied her husband, stating that he was false to her, and had surrendered her to him.
At this announcement Mrs Disbrowe uttered a loud scream, and fell back in the bed. Parravicin waited for a moment; but not hearing her move, brought the lamp to see what was the matter. She had fainted, and was lying across the pillow, with her night-dress partly open, so as to expose her neck and shoulders. The knight was at first ravished with her beauty; but his countenance suddenly fell, and an expression of horror and alarm took possession of it. He appeared rooted to the spot, and instead of attempting to render her any a.s.sistance, remained with his gaze fixed upon her neck. Rousing himself at length, he rushed out of the room, hurried down-stairs, and without pausing for a moment, threw open the street door. As he issued from it his throat was forcibly griped, and the point of a sword was placed at his breast.
It was the desperate husband, who was waiting to avenge his wife"s honour.
"You are in my power, villain," cried Disbrowe, "and shall not escape my vengeance."
"You are already avenged," replied Parravicin, shaking off his a.s.sailant--"_YOUR WIFE HAS THE PLAGUE_."
The profligate had been scared away by the sight of the "plague spot" on the neck of the unfortunate lady.
The husband entered and found his way to his wife"s chamber.
Instantaneous explanations ensued. "He told me you were false--that you loved another--and had abandoned me," exclaimed the frantic wife.
"He lied!" shouted Disbrowe, in a voice of uncontrollable fury. "It is true that, in a moment of frenzy, I was tempted to set you--yes, _YOU_, Margaret--against all I had lost at play, and was compelled to yield up the key of my house to the winner. But I have never been faithless to you--never."
"Faithless or not," replied his wife bitterly, "it is plain you value me less than play, or you would not have acted thus."
"Reproach me not, Margaret," replied Disbrowe. "I would give worlds to undo what I have done."
"Who shall guard me against the recurrence of such conduct?" said Mrs Disbrowe, coldly. "But you have not yet informed me how I was saved!"
Disbrowe averted his head.
"What mean you?" she cried, seizing his arm. "What has happened? Do not keep me in suspense? Were you my preserver?"
"Your preserver was the plague," rejoined Disbrowe, mournfully.
The unfortunate lady then, for the first time, perceived that she was attacked by the pestilence, and a long and dreadful pause ensued, broken only by exclamations of anguish from both.
"Disbrowe!" cried Margaret at length, raising herself in bed, "you have deeply, irrecoverably injured me. But promise me one thing."
"I swear to do whatever you may desire," he replied.
"I know not, after what I have heard, whether you have courage for the deed," she continued. "But I would have you kill this man."
"I will do it," replied Disbrowe.