Chance in Chains: A Story of Monte Carlo

In Short

When brilliant English engineer Basil Gregory and his French colleague Emile Deschamps face ruin without capital for their wireless inventions, chance delivers them into the workshop of twin roulette-wheel craftsmen. Discovering that micro-receivers can be concealed within identical roulette wheels, Deschamps devises an undetected technique for influencing where the ivory ball lands via high-frequency signals. Driven by his desire to marry Ethel McMahon, Basil travels to Monte Carlo under cover to execute the scheme. The adventure delivers rapid riches, an unexpected romantic encounter across the gaming table, and lasting success, while exposing the hollow nature of the gambling world.

The Story

Basil Gregory, a gifted but impoverished engineer living in Paris, despairs of ever securing the capital required to develop his wireless telegraphy inventions or to offer a home to his beloved Ethel McMahon. His energetic partner, Emile Deschamps, remains convinced that fortune will intervene. Their opportunity arrives unexpectedly when the two men lose their way in a heavy Parisian fog and receive shelter from Charles and Edouard Carnet, twin brothers who have spent two decades hand-crafting roulette wheels of flawless precision for Europe’s finest casinos, including Monte Carlo.

Inspecting the workshop, Deschamps realizes that if small receiving components are built directly into a roulette wheel's metal framework, invisible wireless impulses could guide the ball to designated numbers. The Carnet brothers agree to alter three wheels intended for the Casino, marking them subtly so they can be recognized on the floor. Working feverishly over two weeks, Basil and Emile construct a portable transmitter, which Emile conceals inside a trunk in a hotel room near the Casino, while Basil poses as a wealthy player named Montoyer.

Unbeknownst to Basil, Ethel and her mother have also travelled to Monte Carlo. Mrs. McMahon, driven by a long-standing gambling addiction, has lost her small savings to systems and convinced Ethel to try her luck. On her very first night in the Casino, Ethel wins a small sum on zero, only to watch her mother plan further play.

The next evening, Basil takes his seat at the targeted roulette table. Up in the hotel room, Emile tracks the exact timing of the wheel's spin on a chronometer, sending synchronized wireless signals that force the ball into predetermined slots. As Basil places maximum wagers on the designated numbers, win after win falls to him, drawing a crowd of astonished onlookers and alerting the Casino’s administration.

Midway through his winning run, Basil looks across the table and is horrified to see Ethel watching him in stunned amazement. Realizing the danger of exposure and the moral ambiguity of his actions, he completes his planned run, securing roughly twenty-four thousand francs in a matter of minutes. He immediately gathers his winnings and returns to the hotel, where he and Emile package their funds.

Recognizing that Ethel has witnessed his scheme, Basil ensures that she and her mother leave Monte Carlo safely the following afternoon under Emile’s guidance. To prevent suspicion, Basil remains behind for two days, deliberately losing small sums before departing. Armed with their capital, Basil and Emile establish a celebrated firm that revolutionizes wireless communications. Basil receives a knighthood and retires with Ethel to a quiet estate in Cornwall, while continuing to quietly settle Mrs. McMahon's ongoing gaming debts.

How It Unfolds

Lost in the Parisian fog Basil Gregory and Emile Deschamps wander off course on a mist-shrouded night in Paris, lamenting their lack of funds for their scientific experiments. They are invited inside by Charles and Edouard Carnet, twin craftsmen who make roulette wheels for the world's major casinos.

The wireless scheme takes shape Observing the precision of the Carnet wheels, Deschamps proposes embedding tiny electrical receivers within three newly crafted units bound for Monte Carlo. By transmitting targeted high-frequency waves from a nearby room, the team can dictate which slot receives the ball.

Desperation in the Rue Paczensky In her mother's modest apartment, Ethel McMahon discovers that her mother has gambled away their rent money on roulette systems. To cover their losses and seek a fresh start, Mrs. McMahon persuades Ethel to take a brief leave from her teaching job and travel south.

Arrival at Monte Carlo Basil and Emile check into the Hotel Malmaison with heavy luggage containing their transmitter, setting up Emile as the hidden operator. Simultaneously, Ethel and Mrs. McMahon arrive by slow train, entering the glittering, hushed gaming halls of the Casino.

The assault on the bank Basil takes his place at the designated table, following a strict schedule of bets while Emile transmits signals from their hotel room. Number after number hits precisely as planned, accumulating thousands of francs while drawing the sharp attention of Casino officials.

A sudden revelation In the middle of his winning streak, Basil glances across the baize and locks eyes with Ethel, who has been watching the high-stakes play in silent shock. Shaken by the discovery, he completes his sequence, retrieves his massive payout, and retreats to safety.

Aftermath and lasting prosperity Basil and Emile launch their commercial enterprise, transforming wireless telegraphy into a world-renowned success. Basil marries Ethel and settles down in Cornwall, while continuing to pay off Mrs. McMahon's incurable gambling habits across Continental resorts.

The People

• Basil Gregory wants financial independence to marry Ethel McMahon and launch his wireless inventions. Though cautious and morally hesitant about breaking rules, his devotion to Ethel drives him to execute the heist. He emerges as a wealthy, knighted industrialist living quietly in Cornwall.
• Emile Deschamps wants global recognition for their engineering work and the resources to build experimental facilities. Passionate and resourcefully theatrical, he devises the technical method to manipulate the wheel. He achieves his goal, co-founding a celebrated electrical firm with Basil.
• Ethel McMahon wants a dignified, secure life away from the drudgery of her teaching job and the embarrassment of poverty. Dedicated to supporting her mother, she is drawn into the gambling world against her instincts before marrying Basil.
• Mrs. McMahon wants to restore her family's social standing through gambling systems. Obsessive and easily swayed by promises of wealth, she remains hopelessly addicted to roulette, relying on Basil’s discreet financial interventions in her later years.
• Charles and Edouard Carnet want their mechanical skill recognized and enjoyed. As twin craftsmen whose lives center on constructing roulette wheels, they readily join the conspiracy, modifying their handiwork before sending it to Monaco.

In Its Own Voice

"He threw out an arm with one of the theatrical gestures habitual to men of the South—'who knows but that this very night some very great thing will happen to us!'"

Deschamps tries to lift Basil's dark mood as they walk through the dense mist toward an unexpected meeting.

"The air was full of mingled perfume and suggested that odour of incense in a cathedral."

Ethel McMahon steps into the vast, gilded gaming salon of Monte Carlo for the first time, struck by its quiet, reverent atmosphere.

"He knew, they did not, with what certainty number 20 would turn up."

Basil sits calmly at the suicide table as the crowd wagers against his extraordinary sequence of wins.

What It's Really About

Beneath its adventure plot, the novel explores the tension between honest scientific ambition and the lure of quick wealth. Basil and Emile do not seek luxury for its own sake; they turn to crime only because the formal financial world fails to recognize their genuine talent. The story contrasts the calculated, scientific control of the engineers with the irrational, destructive impulses of traditional gamblers like Mrs. McMahon. It suggests that while human intelligence can master mechanical chance through discipline and skill, those who pursue luck for its own sake remain trapped in perpetual disappointment.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy early Edwardian thrillers, technological capers, and vintage descriptions of European travel will find much to admire here. The narrative moves at a brisk pace, offering vivid glimpses of industrial-era Paris power plants, artisan wood-turning workshops, and the luxurious, high-stakes atmosphere of the Riviera before World War I.

The book's appeal lies in its straightforward blend of science fiction elements and classic heist tropes. Modern readers should note its occasional period mannerisms, such as exaggerated national stereotypes and melodramatic dialogue, but these elements reflect the popular magazine fiction of 1914 rather than slowing down the story. The core relationship between the steady English engineer and his dramatic French partner provides a warm dynamic that carries the plot smoothly to its end.

<ElicitationsGroup message="Interested in exploring more about this classic volume?"> <Elicitation label="Analyze the early wireless technology in the book" query="Analyze how early wireless technology and engineering concepts are portrayed in Guy Thorne's Chance in Chains."/> <Elicitation label="Explore Edwardian caper fiction context" query="Provide historical context on Edwardian caper fiction and Monte Carlo literature during the early 1900s."/> </ElicitationsGroup>