s a woman. Yes, I thought so.
Redford and Sir Leslie are waiting for you. Go and have it out with them,
my friend."

"You are too kind to me," he said; "kinder than I deserve!"

"Oh, I don't know," she answered. "I am afraid that my kindness is only
another form of selfishness. I am rather a lonely person, you know. Lord
Redford is beckoning to you. I am going to break up that croquet party."

Mannering joined the other two men. Berenice strolled on to the lawn.
Major Bristow eyed her coming with some disfavour. He was one of the men
whom she always ignored. Clara, on the other hand, seemed proportionately
relieved.

"I want you to come to my room as soon as you possibly can, child,"
Berenice said. "Shall I wait while you finish your game?"

"Oh, I will come at once," Clara exclaimed, laying down her mallet.
"Major Bristow will not mind, I am sure."

Major Bristow looked as though he did mind very much, but lacked the
nerve to say so. Berenice calmly took Clara by the arm and led her away.

"You are not engaged to Major Bristow by any chance, are you?" she asked,
calmly.

"Engaged to Major Bristow? Heavens, no!" Clara answered. "I don't think
he is in the least a marrying man."

"So much the better for our sex," Berenice answered. "I wouldn't spend so
much time with him, my dear, if I were you. I have known people with
nicer reputations."

Clara turned a shade paler.

"I can never get away from him," she said. "He follows me--everywhere,
and--"

"You do not by any chance, I suppose, owe him money?" Berenice asked.
"They tell me that he has a somewhat objectionable habit of winning money
from girls, more than they can afford to pay, and then suggesting that it
stand over for a time."

Clara turned towards her with terrified eyes.

"I--I do owe Major Bristow a little still," she admitted. "I seem to have
been so unlucky. He told me that any time would do, that I should win it
back again, and I had no idea what stakes we were playing. I don't touch
a card now at all, but this was at Ellingham House. They insisted on my
making a fourth at bridge."

Berenice tightened her grasp upon the girl's arm.

"Don't say anything about this to your uncle just now," she insisted. "I
am going to take you up to my room and write you a cheque for the amount,
whatever it may be. Afterwards I will have a talk with Major Bristow.
Nonsense, child, don't cry! The money is nothing to me, and I always
promised your uncle that