ld furnish sufficient capital for another gamble.

'The last family heirloom,' he said finally, 'departed in my father's
time. The manor goes in mine.'

There was a space of silence. Then the elder threw out a fresh
suggestion.

'There's maybe something ye've left out of your calculation,' he said
suggestively, 'something that some might put as high as the estate
itself.'

'What d' ye mean?' inquired the other, turning about so as fully to see
the other's face.

'Well, as 'twixt friends and neighbours I'll speak out fairly,'
responded the man at the green table, 'and as I'm your guest you'll
understand I'm perfectly straight in my proposition. The long and short
o't then is that I'm settled in this new place of mine next yours; that
it is time for me to "range myself," and that if you'll give me your
daughter's hand--give me leave, that is, to propose for her hand in
marriage, and she does me the honour of accepting--well then, I'll
settle your manor, or what's left of it, on her and her heirs for ever.
Make a dower-house of it, in fact. And more than this, I'll burn all
your I.O.U.'s in addition. You'll be a free man once again.'

His host started violently, gave a sudden haughty and contemptuous look
at the speaker, made as if he would speak, then turned swiftly back to
the fire again.

He had a fierce desire to kick this vile newcomer--this Mosenthal, 'the
foreigner,' or 'ootner'--the son of a rich Jewish Manchester
tradesman--out of the house, but the fellow was his guest, and he
checked himself. Above all, he dreaded public bankruptcy; he, the last
male descendant of the proud race of Heronsbeck.

'Think it over,' said the other quietly. 'I think 'tis a fair
offer--free to take or free to drop.'

Still his host made no reply. The other after a little pause proceeded
with his tempting proposals. He had reached out his hand for the
dice-box on the table; he took it up and rattled the dice in the box as
if to throw on to the table.

'Come,' he cried vivaciously. 'Have a throw! Let luck decide. I'll back
your throw against mine. A hundred pounds to a penny.'

He rattled the dice noisily, and cast them on the table, still holding
the box tight over the ivory cubes.

The tempter prevailed; he had re-aroused the gambling fever in his host,
who now advanced to the table and looked irresolutely on the upturned
box.

'Done!' he cried suddenly. The other's fist lifted up; the cubes
nestled close together sho