was dwindling rapidly; the ten
guineas for Sophie would make another big hole. She did not grudge
that--she was eager and ready to give it for so good a cause; but _what_
was Cecil doing with these repeated loans? To judge from appearances,
she was rather poorer than richer during the last few months, while
bills for her new clothes came in again and again, and received no
settlement. An obstinate look settled on Claire's face. She determined
to have this thing out.

In ten minutes' time Cecil was back again, still white, still defiant,
meeting Claire's glance with a shrug, seating herself at the opposite
end of the table with an air of callous indifference to what should come
next.

"Well?"

"Well?"

"You look as if you had something to say!"

"I have. Cecil, what are you doing with all this money?"

"That's my business, I suppose!"

"I don't see it, when the money is mine! I think I have the right to
ask?"

"I've told you I'll pay you back!"

"That's not the question. I want to know what you are doing _now_! You
are not paying your bills."

"I'll sell out some shares to-morrow, and--"

"You shall do no such thing. I can wait, and I will wait, but I can't
go on lending; and if I did, it could do you no good. Where does the
money go? It does _you_ no good!"

"I am the best judge of that."

"Cecil, _are you lending money to that man_?"

The words leapt out, as on occasion such words will leap, without
thought or premeditation on the speaker's part. She did not intend to
speak them; if she had given herself one moment for reflection she dared
not have spoken them; when their sound struck across the quiet room she
was almost as much startled as Cecil herself; yet heart and brain
approved their utterance; heart and brain pronounced that she had
discovered the truth.

Cecil's face was a deep glowing red.

"Really, Claire, you go too far! Why in the world should you think--"

"I saw you with him now in the street. I could see that you were
quarrelling; you took no pains to hide it. You left him to come in to
me, and went back again. It seems pretty obvious."

"Well! and if I did?" Cecil had plainly decided that denial was
useless. "I am responsible for the loan. What does it matter to you
who uses it?"

But at that Claire's anger vanished, and she shrank back with a cry of
pain and shame.

"And he _took_ it from you? Money! Took it from a girl he professes to
love--who is work