ons comes. That
makes it clear, doesn't it--Balencourt and his debt of honor?'

"'When did you know--about him, I mean?'

"'Here is the second button. Balencourt slipped it into my hand just
before we went out to dinner to-night.'

"'It is incredible. Balencourt is a man and you are but a boy. To take
advantage of an act of youthful folly--'

"'You forget that it is his life or mine,' interrupted Estes, quietly.

"'But, George, it is unthinkable. When he knows--but you did tell
him--about Betty--'

"'That's just it, old chap. Balencourt asked her to marry him a week
ago, just before I received the first red button.'

"The monstrousness of the thing struck me all of a heap. 'The police,'
I said, vaguely, but Estes shook his head.

"'It is but postponing the bad quarter of an hour,' he said, gently,
'and I don't think that I could put up with this sort of thing
indefinitely. Moreover, it wouldn't be fair to--to Betty.

"'No,' he went on, 'it's better to have a limit set, just as it is
now--for at least Balencourt will keep his word. Once past the 1st of
August, I am safe.'

"'We'll work within the limit, then,' I said, cheerfully. 'If we
three--Crawfurd, you, and I--can't match wits with one polyglot son of
the "Dawn," we might as well let the bottom drop out of the Monroe
Doctrine and be done with it.'

"We had arrived at the club. For an instant our hands met. 'Not a word
to Betty,' he whispered.

"'Of course.' Then we went up-stairs to the pipe-room, where we found
Crawfurd sitting gloomily over his fourth Scotch-and-soda. The clocks
were striking three when we took Estes back to his apartments, and we
both spent the night with him. The issue had been fairly joined, and it
was exactly two months and a half to the 1st of August.

"The rest of May passed absolutely without incident, and sometimes it
was difficult to believe in the reality of the contest in which we were
engaged. Yet we omitted no precaution, and during the whole fortnight
Estes was never for a moment out of the sight of either Crawfurd or
myself. But no; I'll correct myself there, for we had to allow him an
hour and a half every evening with Betty, and I used to mount guard in
the street outside, measuring the cold and unsympathetic flag-stones.
And no thanks for it, either; indeed, Betty's manner was distinctly
top-loftical whenever we chanced to meet, she being a young person of
discernment, and perfectly well aware that we were keeping