ife."

"Personally I don't believe it," said Winfield. "Leicester is in love,
and Leicester in love will be a model husband."

"Leicester in love! He is not capable of knowing what love means. The
man who is capable of such a wager is not capable of making such as Miss
Castlemaine happy."

"Anyhow, it is not our affair," said Winfield. "Besides, we've promised
to hold our tongues, and we can do no other than keep our promise."

"But to ruin such a life as hers because of a mistaken idea of
honour--well, isn't that worse than breaking a promise?"

"My own feeling is, let the affair go on," said Purvis. "At any rate, it
may do her good."

At this moment Leicester entered the room. Seeing them together he made
his way towards them. He was, as we have said, anxious for an
opportunity of speaking to these men together.

The months which had elapsed since we first saw Leicester in this room
had made a great change in him. Hope gleamed in his eyes, and with that
look of hope had come a happier, healthier expression. It is true he
often suffered from nervous attacks. Mother Nature will not be abused as
he had abused her without exacting a terrible penalty. Still, his change
of life was having its effect, and as a consequence the Leicester of a
few months before was no longer the man who stood before them now.

"I am glad to meet you chaps," he said, as he came up to them, "and I
think myself lucky in finding you all together. I want to speak to you."

Purvis and Sprague exchanged glances, and from the eyes of the latter an
evil look shone. He had not forgiven Leicester for the many times he had
held him up to ridicule, neither did he forgive him for being successful
where he, Sprague, had failed.

"When last we were all together in this clubroom," said Leicester,
speaking with an effort, for as may be imagined the thoughts in his mind
were far from pleasant, "we--well, as you know, a kind of wager was
made."

They waited for him to go on.

"As you know," he continued presently; "I--I--have----"

"Won the wager," said Sprague. "That being so, I shall be prepared to
give my cheque to--what was it? Guy's Hospital. All the same, I think it
is time that this farce should cease. It was unworthy of us all and for
my own part I regret having had anything to do with it."

Sprague's tones, rather than his words, angered Leicester. The thought
of the woman he loved more than all on earth being associated with a
wager madd