known to Ansell--one man an elegantly-dressed
Italian and the other a Spaniard. The summer resorts of Europe prove the
happy hunting-ground for the knights of industry.

The cards were dealt, and the game played.

At the first _coup_ Ralph Ansell won three hundred francs, though he
played fairly. Again and again he won. His luck had returned.

In half an hour he had before him a pile of notes and gold representing
about three hundred pounds.

His face, however, was sphinx-like. Inveterate gambler that he was, he
never allowed his countenance to betray his emotion. Inwardly, however,
he was elated at his success, and when the stranger, a middle-aged
Russian Baron, proposed to stake an amount equal to his winnings, he
quickly welcomed the proposal.

In an instant he was on the alert. Now was the moment to perform one of
his clever card-sharping tricks, the trick by which he had so often won
big sums from the unsuspecting.

He placed two one-hundred franc notes aside in case he should lose; then
the cards were dealt, and the game played.

Only at that moment did the "crook" realise what an astute player the
stranger was.

He tried to cheat, and, though he performed the trick, nevertheless his
opponent actually beat him.

He bit his lip in anger.

Then, pushing the money across to the Baron, he rose from the table and
bade his companions good-night, though the sun was beginning to shine in
between the drawn curtains of the stuffy room.

CHAPTER XXII.

DISCLOSES A SCHEME.

At noon next day, while Ansell was lying lazily in bed in the Palace
Hotel reading the _Matin_, a page entered with a letter.

He tore it open, and found that it was dated from the railway buffet at
Calais-Maritime, and read:

"DEAR RALPH,--Impossible to send oof. Lady Michelcoombe
squeezed dry. Husband knows. So lie low.--TED."

He crushed the letter in his hand with an imprecation. His mine of
wealth had suddenly become exhausted.

From the address it was plain that Ted Patten was flying from England.
Lord Michelcoombe had discovered the truth. Probably his wife had
confessed, and explained how she had been trapped and money extracted
from her. Well he knew that the penalty for his offence was twenty
years' penal servitude.

It was all very well for Ted to advise him to "lie low," but that was
impossible without ample funds. The "crook" who is big enough to effect
a big _coup_ can go into safe retirement for year