ou are never content wizout your play. You come
to dinner an' when it is finish' you play, play, play!"

"_Play_?" He sprang to his feet. "Bravo! That's the very thing I've been
wanting to do. I knew there was something I wanted to do, but I couldn't
think what it was."

Lady Mount-Rhyswicke followed the others into the salon, but Madame de
Vaurigard waited just inside the doorway for Mellin.

"_High_ play!" he cried. "We must play high! I won't play any other
way.--I want to play _high_!"

"Ah, wicked one! What did I tell you?"

He caught her hand. "And you must play too, Helene."

"No, no," she laughed breathlessly.

"Then you'll watch. Promise you'll watch me. I won't let you go till you
promise to watch me."

"I shall adore it, my frien'!"

"Mellin," called Cooley from the other room. "You comin' or not?"

"Can't you see me?" answered Mellin hilariously, entering with Madame de
Vaurigard, who was rosy with laughter. "Peculiar thing to look at a man
and not see him."

Candles were lit in many sconces on the walls, and the card-table had
been pushed to the centre of the room, little towers of blue, white
and scarlet counters arranged upon it in orderly rows like miniature
castles.

"Now, then," demanded Cooley, "are the ladies goin' to play?"

"Never!" cried Madame de Vaurigard.

"All right," said the youth cheerfully; "you can look on. Come and sit
by me for a mascot."

"You'll need a mascot, my boy!" shouted Pedlow. "That's right, though;
take her."

He pushed a chair close to that in which Cooley had already seated
himself, and Madame de Vaurigard dropped into it, laughing. "Mellin,
you set there," he continued, pushing the young man into a seat opposite
Cooley. "We'll give both you young fellers a mascot." He turned to Lady
Mount-Rhyswicke, who had gone to the settee by the fire. "Madge, you
come and set by Mellin," he commanded jovially. "Maybe he'll forget you
ain't a widow again."

"I don't believe I care much about bein' anybody's mascot to-night," she
answered. There was a hint of anger in her tired monotone.

"What?" He turned from the table and walked over to the fireplace. "I
reckon I didn't understand you," he said quietly, almost gently. "You
better come, hadn't you?"

She met his inscrutable little eyes steadily. A faint redness slowly
revealed itself on her powdered cheeks; then she followed him back to
the table and took the place he had assigned to her at Mellin's elbow.

"