gathered himself together for departure.

Fleetwood was saying to Craig: "Certainly it was a stiff game--Bradley,
myself, Gerald Erroll, Mrs. Delmour-Carnes, and the Ruthvens."

"Were you hit?" asked Craig, interested.

"No; about even. Gerald got it good and plenty, though. The Ruthvens
were ahead as usual--"

Selwyn, apparently hearing nothing, quietly rose and stepped out of the
circle, paused to set fire to a cigarette, and then strolled off toward
the visitors' room, where Gerald was now due.

Fane stretched his neck, looking curiously after him. Then he said to
Fleetwood: "Why begin to talk about Mrs. Ruthven when our friend yonder
is about? Rotten judgment you show, Billy."

"Well, I clean forgot," said Fleetwood; "what did I say, anyway? A man
can't always remember who's divorced from who in this town."

Harmon, whose civility to Selwyn had possibly been based on his desire
for pleasant relations with Austin Gerard and the Arickaree Loan and
Trust Company, looked at Fleetwood thoroughly vexed. But nobody could
have suspected vexation in that high-boned smile which showed such very
red lips through the blond beard.

Fane, too, smiled; his prominent soft brown eyes expressed gentlest
good-humour, and he passed his hand reflectively over his unusually
small and retreating chin. Perhaps he was thinking of the meeting in the