or keeping things in his own hands, and a pretty eye
for dramatic possibilities. Besides, he had taken a great dislike to
Courtnay, and was eager to make his discomfiture signal.

At half-past four in the afternoon he knocked at the door of Madame de
Belle-Ile's suite of rooms, and her maid conducted so prominent a
figure in Monte Carlo society straight to her mistress.

Madame de Belle-Ile, having just changed from a bright scarlet costume
into a brighter, was taking her afternoon tea before returning to the
tables.

"Bonjour, Monsieur le Vaurien," she said with a bright smile. "Have
you at last succeeded in gambling?"

"No; it would be no pleasure to me to gamble unless your bright eyes
were shining on the table," said Tinker with a happy recollection of a
compliment he had overheard.

"Farceur! Va!" said the lady with a pleased smile.

"I came to ask if you would like to sup with Mr. Courtnay to-night?"
said the unscrupulous Tinker.

"Ah, le bel Artur!" cried the lady. "But with pleasure. Where?"

"Oh, in the restaurant of the hotel," said Tinker.

The lady's face fell a little; she would have preferred to sup in a
less public place, one more suited to protestations of devotion.

"At about eleven?" she said.

"At half past," said Tinker. "And I think he'd like a note from you
accepting--it--it would please him, I'm sure. He--he--could take it
out, and look at it, you know." It was a little clumsy; but, though he
had thought it out carefully, it was the best that he could do.

"You think so? What a lot we know about these things!" said Madame de
Belle-Ile with a pleased laugh; and she went forthwith to the
ecritoire, and in ten minutes composed the tenderest of billets-doux.
Tinker received it from her with a very lively satisfaction, and after
a few bonbons, and a desultory chat with her, escorted her down to the
Casino.

The rest of the day seemed very long to his impatience, while to
Claire, harassed by vague doubt and real dread, it seemed exceedingly
short. When the hour for action came, she braced herself, by an
effort, to play her part; but it was with a sinking heart that she
stole, thickly veiled, and bearing a small hand-bag, out of the hotel
and down to the station. She was far too troubled to notice that she
was followed by two guardian angels in the shape of a small boy and a
brindled bull-terrier.

Courtnay met her on the top of the steps which lead down to the
station; and w