you have spent among us?"

"Not in the least," Lisle owned.

"Then you can infer what you like from that. In this country, we take a
good deal for granted and avoid explanations. But you haven't said
anything about the proceedings at Marple's. I suppose you were invited to
take a hand at cards?"

"I invited myself; result, sixty dollars to the bad in half an hour. I
used to hold my own in our mining camps, and I hadn't the worst cards."

Nasmyth laughed with unconcealed enjoyment.

"The only fault I have to find with you Westerners is that you're rather
apt to overrate yourselves. I suppose they let young Crestwick in a good
deal deeper?"

"That," laughed Lisle, "is what you have been leading up to from the
beginning."

"I'll admit it. As I've hinted, one of the differences between an
American and an Englishman is that the former usually expresses more or
less forcibly what he thinks, unless, of course, he's a financier or a
politician; while you have often to learn by experience what the latter
means. Better use your own methods in telling me what took place."

Lisle did so, omitting any reference to Bella, and Nasmyth looked
disturbed and disgusted.

"Crestwick's as devoid of sense as he is of manners; he deserves to lose.
What I can't get over is that fellow Batley's staying in what was once
George Gladwyne's house, with Clarence standing sponsor for him."

Lisle fancied he could understand. Nasmyth had his failings, but he had
also his simple, drastic code, and it was repugnant to him that a man of
his own caste, one of a family he had long known and respected, should
countenance an outsider of Batley's kind and assist him in fleecing a
silly vicious lad.

"You have no reason to think well of Gladwyne," Lisle reminded him.

"I haven't," Nasmyth owned. "Still, though the man has made one very bad
break, I hardly expected him to exceed every limit. At present it looks
as if he might do so; he'll probably be forced to."

"I don't quite understand."

"Then I'll have to explain. It's unpleasant, but here the thing is, as I
see it--Batley's not the kind of man Clarence would willingly associate
with, and to give Clarence his dues, all his instinct must make him
recoil from the fellow's game with Crestwick. Considering that he's
apparently making no protest against it, this is proof to me that Batley
has some pretty firm hold on him."

"What's Batley's profession?"

"I suspect he's something in the sma