"I suppose we'll have a game going before midnight," admitted
Sargeant resignedly, smiling good-humoredly nevertheless.

Condy set his teeth. "I'll join you later. Wait a few moments,"
he said. He hurried to the office of the club, and sent a
despatch to Blix--the third since morning:


"Can I come up right away? It's urgent. Send answer by this
messenger."


He got his answer within three-quarters of an hour, and left the
club as Hendricks and George Hands arrived by the elevator
entrance.

Sitting in the bay window of the dining-room, he told Blix why he
had come.

"Oh, you were right!" she told him. "Always, ALWAYS come, when--
when you feel you must."

"It gets so bad sometimes, Blix," he confessed with abject self-
contempt, "that when I can't get some one to play against I'll sit
down and deal dummy hands, and bet on them. Just the touch of the
cards--just the FEEL of the chips. Faugh! it's shameful."

The day following, Sunday, Condy came to tea as usual; and after
the meal, as soon as the family and Victorine had left the pair
alone in the dining-room, they set about preparing for their