"You startled me for a moment," replied Fanny, colouring slightly; "any
little relapse renders Sir John so uncomfortable that we are naturally
anxious on his account."

"I am sure Lawless is boring your sister," observed Oaklands, who had
been sitting quite at the farther end of the drawing-room, cutting open
the leaves of a new book. "I know that worried look of hers so well:--I
shall go and interpose on her behalf.--Lawless," he continued, crossing
over to him, "the billiard-room is lighted up, if you like to challenge
Fairlegh to a game."

"Billiards, eh?" returned Lawless; "why, really, if you had walked as
many miles to-day as I have, I don't think you'd much fancy trotting
round a billiard-table. Besides, I'm very well off where I am," he
added, with what was intended for a gallant glance towards Fanny;
"here's metal more attractive, as the fellow says in the play."

Oaklands' only reply was a slight curl of the lip, and, turning to
Fanny, he said, "Are you at all inclined to take your revenge? We shall
have time for a good game if we begin at once; will you come into the
music-room, or shall I fetch the chess-men here?"

"Is it not rather late?" replied Fanny hesitatingly.

"Not if we begin now," returned Oaklands.

"Mr. Lawless was offering to show me some tricks with cards; as they
will not take so long a time as a game of chess, perhaps that would be
most advisable this evening."

"Whichever you prefer; I will ring for cards," replied Oaklands coldly.
He then waited until the servant had executed the order, and, as soon as
Lawless had attracted public attention to his performance, left the room
unobserved.

~328~~ Wonderful things did the cards effect under Lawless's able
management--very wonderful indeed, until he showed you how they were
done; and then the only wonder was that you had not found them out for
yourself, and how you could have been stupid enough to be taken in by so
simple a trick: and very great was Lawless on the occasion, and greater
still was Ellis, who was utterly sceptical as to the possibility of
performing any of the tricks beforehand, and quite certain, as soon
as he had seen it, that he knew all about it, and could do it easily
himself, and who, on trying, invariably failed; and yet, not profiting
one bit by his experience, was just as sceptical and just as confident
in regard to the next, which was of course attended by a like result.
Very wonderful and very amusing was it