Pratt.

"If you please, sir, Mrs Lloyd thought you would like a fire in the
smoking-room, sir, and I've taken the cigars in there."

"Bring--"

Trevor caught Pratt's eye, and he checked himself.

"Lloyd," he said, very quietly. "I don't think you understand me yet.
Go and fetch those cigar boxes."

The butler directed a pitiful, appealing look at the speaker, and then
went out, leaving Trevor tapping the mahogany table excitedly, till
Pratt tried to throw himself into the breach, with a remark about Sir
Hampton; but no one answered, for Trevor was hard at work keeping down
his annoyance, Vanleigh was picking his white teeth with a gold point,
and Sir Felix was intent upon the tints in the glass he held up before
his eye.

In another minute the butler returned with the cigars, and then departed
to fulfil the other part of his orders.

"Now, Vanleigh, since we are favoured," said Trevor, laughing, "try one
of these. I know they are genuine, for I got them myself at the
Havanna."

"Really," said Vanleigh, with a show of consideration, "I'll give up my
smoke, and I'm sure Flick will."

"Oh, yes, dear boy; don't mind me."

"For goodness' sake, gentlemen, don't make bad worse," said Trevor;
"take your cigars and light up. Hallo, Frank! Don't go out, man."

"Not going," said Pratt, who had already lit a tremendous cigar, and was
puffing away as he took a chair to the window.

"Then, why have you gone there?"

"To smoke the curtains for the benefit of Mrs Lloyd," was the reply;
and he proceeded to put his intention in force.

After an hour they adjourned to Trevor's room, where they had
refreshments brought in, and were soon deep in a rubber of whist, Pratt
being partner with Vanleigh, and playing his very worst; but all the
same, luck and his partner's skill carried them through, so that they
won rather heavily. Time glided away, and the cigars were so good that
for the first time that evening Trevor felt comfortable.

"Well," he thought, "we shall have no more of Mrs Lloyd to-night, and
to-morrow I'll set things right. Me to lead? Good that--there's a
trump."

At that moment the door opened, and Mrs Lloyd appeared, bearing a
waiter with four flat candlesticks, and looking the very image of
austerity.

"The house is all locked up now, sir," she said, in a cold, hard voice.
"It is half-past ten."

"Thank you, Mrs Lloyd," said Trevor, and his face twitched with
annoyance.

"Is half-past ten--bed