they played, with luck evenly balanced; then Asshlin made
a reluctant attempt to draw out his watch.

"Did you hear that?" he said, as the wind roared up from the sea like
an invading army. "I ought to be getting home. She'll be worrying about
me."

He spoke firmly enough, but his eyes wandered back to the cards.

Clodagh rose, and, crossing to the sideboard, poured some water into a
glass and drank it.

"No! no!" she said eagerly. "It's quite early. It's only eleven. She
won't expect you yet."

He put his watch back into his pocket; Clodagh returned to her place at
the table; and the play went on.

By twelve o'clock a change had come in their positions. Fortune was no
longer impartial; and Clodagh stood the winner by several games. Again
Asshlin made a movement towards departure. His face was flushed now,
and a look of alarm had begun to mingle with his excitement.

"I--I ought to be going now, Clo," he said a little huskily.

Clodagh gave a sharp laugh. At last it seemed to her that she was
drowning thought--holding at bay the black sense of loss and agony that
threatened to inundate her soul. She threw up her head, and her eyes
challenged her cousin's.

"You are a coward if you go now, Larry! You are afraid to take your
revenge!"

He coloured like a girl, and gave a half-angry, half-embarrassed laugh.

"Don't say that, Clo!"

"Then will you play?"

"I--I oughtn't to."

Again Clodagh laughed--a laugh so nervous and high-pitched that it rang
almost harshly across the room.

"Then you're not an Asshlin!"

"Am I not?" He tilted his chair forward, and leaned upon the table.
"Let's see! Come along! I'm game for anything after that!"

There was a new note in his voice--a fiery note, that seemed to
challenge fate and throw reason to the winds.

It stirred some latent power in Clodagh's brain. A faint colour crossed
the pallor of her face; she half rose from her seat.

"Shall we 'play like the devil,' as father used to say?"

Asshlin threw up his head. It was as if flint and steel had struck--the
spark followed inevitably.

"Yes!" he cried; "we'll play like the devil!"

At one o'clock they rose from the table. Clodagh's face was white
again; but Asshlin's was deeply flushed; and as he stood up,
confronting his cousin, it almost seemed that he had drunk more than
the two glasses of port to which the bottle testified.

"I must go now, Clo," he said. "May I ring for Burke to get me a
lantern?"