in him, you know--on
Eileen's account."

Austin grew angrier and redder:

"Eileen's account? Do you mean her bank account? It's easy enough to
believe in him if you inspect his sister's bank account. Believe in him?
Oh, certainly I do; I believe he's pup enough to come sneaking to his
sister to pay for all the damfooleries he's engaged in. . . . And I've
positively forbidden her to draw another check to his order--"

"It's that little bangled whelp, Ruthven," said Selwyn between his
teeth. "I warned Gerald most solemnly of that man, but--" He shrugged
his shoulders and glanced about him at the linen-covered furniture and
bare floors. After a moment he looked up: "The game there is of course
notorious. I--if matters did not stand as they do"--he flushed
painfully--"I'd go straight to Ruthven and find out whether or not this
business could be stopped."

"Stopped? No, it can't be. How are you going to stop a man from playing
cards in his own house? They all do it--that sort. Fane's rather
notorious himself; they call his house the house of ill-Fane, you know.
If you or I or any of our family were on any kind of terms with the
Ruthvens, they might exclude Gerald to oblige us. We are not, however;
and, anyway, if Gerald means to make a gambler and a souse of himself at
twenty-one, he'll do it. But it's pretty rough on us."

"It's rougher on him, Austin; and it's roughest on his sister. Well"--he
held out his hand--"good-bye. No, thanks, I won't stop to see Nina and
Eileen; I'm going to try to think up some way out of this. And--if
Gerald comes to you again--try another tack--just try it. You know, old
fellow, that, between ourselves, you and I are sometimes short of temper
and long of admonition. Let's try reversing the combination with
Gerald."

But Austin only growled from the depths of his linen-shrouded arm-chair,
and Selwyn turned away, wondering what in the world he could do in a
matter already far beyond the jurisdiction of either Austin or himself.

If Alixe had done her best to keep Gerald away, she appeared to be quite
powerless in the matter; and it was therefore useless to go to her.
Besides, he had every inclination to avoid her. He had learned his
lesson.

To whom then could he go? Through whom could he reach Gerald? Through
Nina? Useless. And Gerald had already defied Austin. Through Neergard,
then? But he was on no terms with Neergard; how could he go to him?
Through Rosamund Fane? At the thought h