at. Put yourself in
their place, sir, and try and realize the torture of it. I've been
amongst 'em. I've spent half of what I made, and a good many thousands it
was, buying food for them. Can you wonder that my fingers have itched for
the throats of these smug, prosperous pigs, who spurt platitudes and
think things are very well as they are because they're making their
little bit? What right have you--any of you--to hesitate for a second to
try any means to help those poor devils, unless you've got a better
scheme of your own? Will you tell me that, sir?"

They had reached Mannering's house, and he threw open the gate.

"You must come in with me and talk about these things," Mannering said,
gravely. "You seem to be the sort of person I've been wanting to meet for
a long time."

CHAPTER IV

DEBTS OF HONOUR

Berenice found the following morning a note from Borrowdean, which caused
her some perplexity.

"If you really care," he said, "to do Mannering a good turn, look his
niece up now and then. I am afraid that young woman has rather lost her
head since she came to London, and she is making friends who will do
her no particular good."

Berenice ordered her carriage early, and drove round to Portland
Crescent.

"My dear child," she exclaimed, as Clara came into the room, "what have
you been doing with yourself? You look ghastly!"

Clara shrugged her shoulders, and looked at herself in a mirror.

"I do look chippy, don't I?" she remarked. "I've been spending the
week-end down at Bristow."

"At Bristow?" Berenice repeated. Her voice spoke volumes. Clara looked up
a little defiantly.

"Yes! We had an awful spree! I like it there immensely, only--"

Berenice looked up.

"I notice," she remarked, "that there is generally an 'only' about people
who have spent week-ends at Bristow. They play cards there, don't they,
until daylight? Some one once told me that they kept a professional
croupier for roulette!"

"That horrid game!" Clara exclaimed. "Please don't mention it. I've
scarcely slept a wink all night for thinking of it."

Berenice looked at her in surprise.

"Do you mean to say," she inquired, deliberately, "that they allowed you
to play--and lose?"

"It wasn't their fault I lost," Clara answered. "Oh, what a fool I was.
Bobby Bristow showed me a system. It seemed so easy. I didn't think I
could possibly lose. It worked beautifully at first. I thought that I was
going to pay all my bil