at him. "'Slife! your grace is grown very nice on a
sudden!" he sneered. "The president of the Bold Bucks, the master of the
Hell Fire Club, is most oddly squeamish where the diversions of another
are concerned."

"Diversions?" said his grace, his eyebrows raised until they all but
vanished under the golden curls of his peruke. "Diversions? Ha! I
observe that you make no attempt to deny the story. You admit it, then?"

There was a stir in the group, a drawing back from his lordship. He
observed it, trembling between chagrin and rage. "What's here?" he
cried, and laughed contemptuously. "Oh, ah! You'll follow where his
grace leads you! Ye've followed him so long in lewdness that now yell
follow him in conversion! But as for you, sir," and he swung fiercely
upon Caryll, "you and your precious story--will you maintain it sword in
hand?"

"I can do better," answered Mr. Caryll, "if any doubts my word."

"As how?"

"I can prove it categorically, by witnesses."

"Well said, Caryll," Stapleton approved him.

"And if I say that you lie--you and your witnesses?"

"'T is you will be liar," said Mr. Caryll.

"Besides, it is a little late for that," cut in the duke.

"Your grace," cried Rotherby, "is this affair yours?"

"No, I thank Heaven!" said his grace, and sat down.

Rotherby scowled at the man who until ten minutes ago had been his
friend and boon companion, and there was more of contempt than anger
in his eyes. He turned again to Mr. Caryll, who was watching him with a
gleam of amusement--that infernally irritating amusement of his--in his
gray-green eyes.

"Well?" he demanded foolishly, "have you naught to say?"

"I had thought," returned Mr. Caryll, "that I had said enough." And the
duke laughed aloud.

Rotherby's lip was curled. "Ha! You don't think, now, that you may have
said too much?"

Mr. Caryll stifled a yawn. "Do you?" he inquired blandly.

"Ay, by God! Too much for a gentleman to leave unpunished."

"Possibly. But what gentleman is concerned in this?"

"I am!" thundered Rotherby.

"I see. And how do you conceive that you answer the description?"

Rotherby swore at him with great choice and variety. "You shall learn,"
he promised him. "My friends shall wait on you to-night."

"I wonder who will carry his message?" ventured Collis to the ceiling.
Rotherby turned on him, fierce as a rat. "It is a matter you may
discover to your cost, Sir Harry," he snarled.

"I think," put in his grace