"Don't you see that they're cancelled?" interjected Garrick, still
adding.

I had not examined them closely, but as I now bent over to do so I
saw that each bore the words, "Paid by W."

Warrington himself had settled the gambling debts of his friend!

In still greater amazement I continued to look and found that they
all bore dates from several weeks before, down to within a few
days. The tale they told was eloquent. Forbes, his own fortune
gone, had gambled until rescued by his friend. Even that had not
been sufficient to curb his mania. He had kept right on, hoping
insanely to recoup. And the gamblers had been willing to take a
chance with him, knowing that they already had so much of his
money that they could not possibly lose.

A horrid thought flashed over me. What if he had really planned to
pay his losses by marrying a girl with a fortune? Forbes was the
sort who would have gambled on even that slender prospect.

As we stood on the landing while Garrick went over the markers, I
found myself wondering, even, where Forbes had been that night
after he hurried away from us at the ladies' poolroom and
Warrington had taken the journey that had ended so disastrously
for him. The more I learned of what had been taking place, the
more I saw that Warrington stood out as a gentleman. Undoubtedly
Violet Winslow had heard, had been informed by some kind unknown
of the slight lapses of Warrington. I felt sure that the gross