sador's discretion. His heart would make no blunder; but
could she trust his head?

Up to this point Flossie had played her game with admirable skill. She
had, without showing one card of her own, caused Spinks to reveal his
entire hand. It was not until she had drawn from him the assurance of
his imperishable devotion, together with the exact amount of his
equally imperishable income, that she had committed herself to a
really decisive move. She was perfectly well aware of its delicacy and
danger. Not for worlds would she have had Spinks guess that Rickman
was still waiting for her decision. And yet, if Spinks referred rashly
and without any preparation to the breaking off of the engagement,
Rickman's natural reply would be that this was the first he had heard
of it. Therefore did she so manoeuvre and contrive as to make Rickman
suppose that Spinks was the accredited bearer of her ultimatum, while
Spinks himself remained unaware that he was conveying the first
intimation of it. It was an exceedingly risky thing to do. But
Flossie, playing for high stakes, had calculated her risk to a nicety.
She must make up her mind to lose something. As the game now stood the
moral approbation of Spinks was more valuable to her than the moral
approbation of Rickman; and in venturing this final move she had
reckoned that the moral approbation of Rickman was all she had to
lose. Unless, of course, he chose to give her away.

But Rickman could be trusted not to give her away.

When Spinks presented himself in Rickman's study he obtained admission
in spite of the lateness of the hour. The youth's solemn agitation was
not to be gainsaid. He first of all delivered himself of Flossie's
message, faithfully, word for word.

"Oh, so she's told you everything, has she? And what did she tell
you?"

"Why, that it was all over between you, broken off, you know."

"And you've come to me to know if it's true, is that it?"

"Well no, why should I? Of course it's true if she says so."

Rickman reflected for a moment; the situation, he perceived, was
delicate in the extreme, delicate beyond his power to deal with it.
But the god did not forsake his own, and inspiration came to him.

"You're right there, Spinky. Of course it's true if she says so."

"She seemed to think you wouldn't mind her telling me. She said you'd
understand."

"Oh yes, I think I understand. Did she tell you she had broken it
off?" (He was really anxious to know how she