gged, stumbling to the rescue. "It would be so dreadful for
everybody concerned if--if--anything happened."

"The administration cannot allow itself to be threatened," its
mouthpiece answered.

"My threat isn't an empty one," Dauntrey persisted. "You leave only one
exit open for me."

"I am sorry, but I have no authority to grant large sums to any one, on
any pretext." The tone was firm, but something in the eyes encouraged
Mary to persevere. She pleaded as nothing imaginable could have induced
her to plead for herself, and at last the man with the pince-nez
promised to "recommend the administration" to give his lordship two
thousand francs. Dauntrey was provided with a bit of yellow paper, such
as Mary had seen in the hand of the veiled woman. This, he was told,
must be presented upstairs, and in the morning Dauntrey would receive
the gift, or "loan," of two thousand francs.

Mary had expected him to be bitterly disappointed, but when she had
secured her hand-bag and they were leaving the Casino together, he
seemed comparatively cheerful. "With this money I may win everything
back at baccarat in Nice," he said, "if Eve doesn't object. We've got to
go somewhere. Why not there? And if I lose, things won't be any worse
with us than they are now. What use is two thousand francs except to
gamble with? Still, I didn't think they'd give me as much, and they
wouldn't, by half, if it hadn't been for you."

"I hope Lady Dauntrey won't be disappointed," Mary ventured.

"I don't know--I don't know," he muttered. "Eve is in a strange state of
mind. It makes me anxious for the future. But what's the good of
worrying? Perhaps there won't be any future."

Lady Dauntrey was sitting on an iron seat near the top of the gardens.
She sprang up when the lamplight showed her the two figures she knew,
walking side by side.

"Well?" she asked breathlessly.

"Two thousand francs--thanks to Miss Grant," her husband answered; and
Mary was afraid of an angry outburst, but it did not come.

"Two thousand francs!" Eve echoed, dully. "Better than nothing. But
what's to become of us? Where shall we go? If we buy tickets even second
class for England, there's a lot gone. If only we could get away to some
place near by and hide ourselves for a while, till we could have time to
look round and make up our minds!" She turned quickly to Mary. "While
you were both gone," she said, "I was thinking. It's true, isn't it,
that Captain Hannaford left