The Jane Austen Handbook (16 page)

MEANWHILE, BACK IN THE DINING ROOM …

The host will produce a decanter of port, pour a glass, and pass the bottle to the next gentleman, who will pour himself a glass and pass it quickly; it is considered rude to hold up the bottle. Port is always passed to the left—the port side. They might smoke cigars, as no man of breeding would smoke in front of a lady, and perhaps take advantage of a chamber pot hidden in a sideboard. They will drink toasts to the king, to the success of whatever military campaigns are currently going on, and to the lady of their fancy. Conversation will focus on appropriately masculine topics, such as hunting and risqué jokes.

TAKING WINE

During a meal, someone might catch your eye or say, “May I take wine with you?” and raise their glass. This is a sort of mini toast called “taking wine” and can be a sign of regard, affection, or friendship, or an attempt to curry favor. Simply raise your glass in return and take a sip. Have a care: Taking wine indiscriminately can send the wrong message or lead to intoxication and further regrettable behavior.

C
APTAIN
W
ENTWORTH
:
“You have not been long enough in Bath,” said he, “to enjoy the evening parties of the place.”

A
NNE
E
LLIOT
:
“Oh! no. The usual character of them has nothing for me. I am no card-player.”

C
APTAIN
W
ENTWORTH
:
“You were not formerly, I know. You did not use to like cards; but time makes many changes.”
—P
ERSUASION

1. Divide the players into two sets of two partners.
Each player should sit across from his or her partner at the table.

2. Shuffle and deal all of the cards.
Each player should have thirteen cards. The last card is left turned up; the suit of that card is the trump suit.

3. Lead the trick.
The player sitting to the left of the dealer “leads” the trick by choosing a card to play from his or her hand.

4. Play the cards in a clockwise rotation.
Try to play a card of the trump suit but a higher number. If you have none, then you may play a card of any suit.

5. Take the trick.
The player with the highest card in the trump suit wins the trick. If there is no card from the trump suit, then the highest card from the lead suit wins the trick. When you win a trick, take up the four cards and stack them in front of you.

6. Pay attention to the cards already played.
If you are attentive, you will know which cards already have been played and can guess your opponents’ cards with a fair degree of accuracy. Guessing your opponents’ cards is considered part of the strategy of the game.

7. Count points.
Once a team has won six tricks, they begin to tally points: one point for each trick won.

8. Deal the cards again.
The game continues until one set of partners wins five points. You will most likely have to deal the cards more than once.

9. Collect your winnings.
The losers will pay a predetermined amount per point; for instance, if you have decided to play for a pound per point, the losers will each pay five pounds, which is split between the winners.

1. Determine the banker.
Cut the cards; the player with the high card is the banker.

2. Deal the first card.
The banker deals one card face down to each player.

3. Make your bid.
Peek at the card you have been dealt and place a bid based on your confidence in reaching a total value of twenty-one when the banker gives you another card. Number cards are worth the number that appears on the card. Face cards, or “court” cards, are valued as follows: Ace = 1, Jack = 11, Queen = 12, King = 13.

4. Deal the second card face down.
Look at your card and determine how close you are to reaching twenty-one. If the banker already has twenty-one at this point, the game is over, and he or she wins the pot.

5. Get more cards if you need them.
The banker will ask if you wish to buy a card. If the total value of your cards is still low enough that you want to add more cards to get closer to twenty-one, put an additional bid into the pot. Repeat this until you get as many cards as you need. If the value of your cards is more than twenty-one, you must drop out and lose your stake.

6. Determine the winner.
When everyone playing is satisfied with the value of their cards, flip them over. The player
whose cards total the closest to twenty-one without going over wins the pot.

1. Distribute the fish.
Each player should receive an equal amount of fish.

2. Ante up.
The dealer antes six fish and the other players four fish each.

3. Deal each player three cards.

4. Determine the trump suit.
The dealer should turn over the next undealt card; the suit of that card is the trump suit.

5. Play the first round.
The dealer turns over his first card. If it is an ace of the trump suit, the game is over and the dealer wins the pot. If it is not an ace, the dealer may sell or auction the card to any other player, using your fish for payment. The next player then turns over one of his or her cards and decides to keep or sell it. This is repeated until all the cards originally dealt are revealed.

6. Determine the winner.
The person in possession of the highest card of the trump suit, whether it had been dealt to that player or purchased, wins the pot.

7. Strategize carefully.
Do not use up all your fish by buying cards, or you may win hands but lose the game.

1. Deal the cards.
Twelve cards are dealt to each player, with the eight left over cards, called the “talon,” placed facedown in the middle of the table.

2. Exchange cards.
The nondealer must discard at least one card and may discard up to five cards face down, taking new cards from the top of the talon to replace them. The dealer then discards at least one card and can discard up to however many are left in the talon, also face down. Keep your discards with you, and you may refer to them during the game to see which cards you already have discarded.

3. Determine if you have carte blanche.
If your hand contains no court cards, declare carte blanche and receive ten points immediately. Announce that you have carte blanche after your opponent has discarded but before you have discarded your own cards, as you must show all of your cards to prove your claim. If you are the nondealer, announce carte blanche and tell your opponent how many cards you plan to discard but do not show your cards. Once she has discarded her own cards, then show your dealt hand to prove that you have carte blanche.

4. Add your points.
There are three ways to arrive at your score combination; take the combination that provides the highest score for you.

• 
Points
.
One point is awarded for each card of a particular suit in your hand; for instance, if you have four hearts, you score four points, no matter which cards make up the grouping. Take this option if you have several high-numbered cards in the same suit, or if you are unable to accrue points in either of the other potential combinations.

• 
Sequence
.
Three or four cards in sequence within the same suit scores one point per card; five to eight cards in sequence within the same suit scores one point for each card plus ten more total.

• 
Set
.
Three or four of the same court cards or aces. Three cards in a set scores one point each, and four in a set scores one point each plus ten, or fourteen points total.

OTHER CARD GAMES

Quadrille:
A popular game in the eighteenth century, quadrille is favored by older people in Jane Austen’s novels; Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Mrs. Bates, and Mr. Woodhouse are some of the characters who play quadrille. It is a round game of four players, similar to whist, played with a deck of forty cards and many arcane rules. Trump cards are always the same rather than changing game by game, and players bid or pass on each trick based on their current hand.

Loo:
Similar to whist, but with a flexible number of players. The stakes tended to be higher, as one bid and rebid for each trick in which one participated. In gambling halls, the stakes could be ruinous, but at country house parties loo was mostly harmless.

Cribbage:
Fanny Price and her aunt Bertram play cribbage in
Mansfield Park
, presumably the five-card variety rather than the six-card cribbage that is played today. Each player is dealt five cards, and a score is determined by combinations of the cards in their hand or those discarded during the play, called the “crib.” The tally of points is recorded on a special pegboard, and the first player to reach 61 points (over several hands) wins.

It may be possible to do without dancing entirely. Instances have been known of young people passing many, many months successively, without being at any ball of any description, and no material injury accrue either to body or mind;—but when a beginning is made—when the felicities of rapid motion have once been, though slightly, felt—it must be a very heavy set that does not ask for more
. —
E
MMA

1. Learn the basic dance steps.
Hire a dancing master to instruct you not only in the intricate steps of dances such as the country dance and quadrille, but also in dance floor etiquette. Study books such as Thompson’s or Rutherford’s annual collections. For each particular dance, you will need to know the following:

• 
Steps:
The actual footwork you perform during the dance.

• 
Formations:
The location at which you begin and end the dance relative to your partner and the other couples.

• 
Figures:
How you move around the floor during the course of a dance.

2. Practice.
Dance at home with your sisters or your close friends. Take turns playing the pianoforte for one another, or ask your mother or governess to assist.

3. Indicate your attendance.
Public assemblies usually require the payment of a fee, which your father will remit on your behalf. If you will be attending a series of balls at the same establishment, your father can obtain a subscription allowing you to attend for the season. For private balls, you will receive a handwritten invitation from the host or hostess, to which you must respond with your acceptance or regrets.

4. Rest.
On the day of the party, allow yourself to sleep in a bit in the morning, or take a short nap in the afternoon before dinner. If you are not accustomed to dancing until five in the morning, you will be thankful you prepared as the ball proceeds.

5. Eat lightly.
You do not want to be lethargic when it is time to dance—though you will most likely be too excited to eat much anyway.

6. Get dressed for the big night.
Dressing for a ball is part of the fun, though it can be a matter for particular concern as well—the gentlemen must ask you to dance, so you will want to look your best. White muslin is always an appropriate and fashionable choice for a young lady, adorned with a simple cross pendant on a gold chain, or perhaps pearls inherited from your mother. Pin back your hair with beads, flowers, or feathers woven through (see “
How to Dress
”) but allow a few curls to fall around your face.