"What's your game?" she hissed. "Are you playing with me and Adrien? Are

you setting him against me? I know your artful tricks; but don't you

play 'em on me, Jasper! What are you doing up at the Castle so often?

Making yourself pleasant to old Lord Barminster's niece there, I'll be

bound. P'raps she ain't fond of scent or a pork chop or two, and she can

have real statues if she likes. You don't remind him of that, do you?

Oh, no, of course not! But you mind your skin, Jasper, for you can't

play fast and loose with me. Shuffle him on to that Constance girl, and

I'll make you pay for it. I know something you wouldn't like my lord to

hear about; so, if you don't want me to open my mouth and split on your

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little games, don't you play me any of your tricks, that's all, or I'll

go straight to Adrien and tell him all!"

She stopped, out of breath, and Jasper Vermont, springing to his feet,

glared down at her in impotent fury. But she only laughed at his angry

face.

"Oh, no, you wouldn't like Adrien to know how you fooled poor Julia,

though it is over twenty years ago. I haven't forgotten, if you have,

how you took her over to Paris while I was away on my first tour, and

went through some form of marriage with her. You wouldn't like him to

know how you told her what you'd done, when there was no longer need to

keep it dark from your father, and of the attack of brain fever it

brought on, poor dear! You were a nice brute to her, you were, Jasper

Vermont; and it's a lucky thing for you and her too that when she

recovered her memory had gone, and she forgot you as well as the child."

Jasper stirred uneasily.

"I didn't think she would have cared so much," he said. "Besides, she's

all right now; she only forgets those few years."

"Lucky thing for you," repeated Ada dryly.

"What have you done with the child?" he asked suddenly.

His companion's face lighted up with malicious triumph.

"I've put her where you can't find her, anyhow," she said. "You shan't

break her heart, as you did her mother's."

"Oh, nonsense, Ada!" said Vermont contemptuously. "Don't begin to

rant--you're not on the stage now. I kept all my promises to you, at any

rate. I got you on at the Rockingham and I introduced you to Leroy; and

if you had only played your cards properly you would have hooked him by

this time. As it is, he'll marry his cousin, if you're not careful."




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