led faintly. The idea of Lord Arranmore repenting of anything
appealed in some measure to his sense of humour.

"Then I am afraid that I did him some great harm in accusing him like
that--openly. He has seemed to me since like an altered man. Tell me,
those others who were there--they believed me?"

"Yes."

"It did him harm--with the lady, the handsome woman who was playing
billiards with him?"

"Yes."

"Was he engaged to her?

"No! He proposed to her afterwards, and she refused him."

Her eyes were suddenly dim.

"I am sorry," she said.

"I think," he said, quietly, "that you need not be. You probably saved
her a good deal of unhappiness."

She looked at him curiously.

"Why are you so bitter against Lord Arranmore?" she asked.

"I?" he laughed. "I am not bitter against him. Only I believe him to
be a man without heart or conscience or principles."

"That is your opinion--really?"

"Really! Decidedly."

"Then I don't agree with you," she answered.

"Why not?"

"Simply that I don't."

"Excellent! But you have reasons as well as convictions?

"Perhaps. Why, for instance, is he so anxious for me to have this
money? That must be a matter of conscience?"

"Not necessarily. An accident might bring his Montreal career to light.
His behaviour towards you would be an excellent defence."

She shook her head.

"He isn't mean enough to think so far ahead for his own advantage.
Villain or paragon, he is on a large scale, your Lord Arranmore."

"He has had the good fortune," Brooks said, with a note of satire in his
tone, "to attract your sympathies."

"Why not? I struck hard enough at him, and he has borne me no ill-will.
He even made friends with Selina and my uncle to induce me to accept his
well, conscience money."

"I need not ask you what the result was," Brooks said. "You declined
it, of course."

She looked at him thoughtfully.

"I refused it at first, as you know," she said. "Since then, well, I
have wavered."

He looked at her blankly.

"You mean--that you have contemplated--accepting it?"

"Why not? There is reason in it. I do not say that I have accepted it,
but at any rate I see nothing which should make you look upon my
possible acceptance as a heinous thing."

He was silent for a moment.

"May I ask you then what the position is?"

"I will tell you. Lord Arranmore is coming to me perhaps this afternoon
for my answer. I asked him for a few days to think it over."

"And yo