, that I am a petted child of fortune, and have
had everything I wanted since I was a baby."

"You are a fortunate devil," said the other, turning back to his desk,
and taking up his pen.

For a moment Kara did not speak, then he made as though he would say
something, checked himself, and laughed.

"I wonder if I am," he said.

And now he spoke with a sudden energy.

"What is this trouble you are having with Vassalaro?"

John rose from his chair and walked over to the fire, stood gazing down
into its depths, his legs wide apart, his hands clasped behind him, and
Kara took his attitude to supply an answer to the question.

"I warned you against Vassalaro," he said, stooping by the other's side
to light his cigar with a spill of paper. "My dear Lexman, my fellow
countrymen are unpleasant people to deal with in certain moods."

"He was so obliging at first," said Lexman, half to himself.

"And now he is so disobliging," drawled Kara. "That is a way which
moneylenders have, my dear man; you were very foolish to go to him at
all. I could have lent you the money."

"There were reasons why I should not borrow money from you,", said John,
quietly, "and I think you yourself have supplied the principal reason
when you told me just now, what I already knew, that you wanted to marry
Grace."

"How much is the amount?" asked Kara, examining his well-manicured
finger-nails.

"Two thousand five hundred pounds," replied John, with a short laugh,
"and I haven't two thousand five hundred shillings at this moment."

"Will he wait?"

John Lexman shrugged his shoulders.

"Look here, Kara," he said, suddenly, "don't think I want to reproach
you, but it was through you that I met Vassalaro so that you know the
kind of man he is."

Kara nodded.

"Well, I can tell you he has been very unpleasant indeed," said John,
with a frown, "I had an interview with him yesterday in London and it
is clear that he is going to make a lot of trouble. I depended upon the
success of my play in town giving me enough to pay him off, and I very
foolishly made a lot of promises of repayment which I have been unable
to keep."

"I see," said Kara, and then, "does Mrs. Lexman know about this matter?"

"A little," said the other.

He paced restlessly up and down the room, his hands behind him and his
chin upon his chest.

"Naturally I have not told her the worst, or how beastly unpleasant the
man has been."

He stopped and turned.

"Do you