"Yes."

"Begging, I suppose?"

"He borrowed some money for his friend Barrymaine."

The Viscount flushed hotly, and looked at Barnabas with a sudden

frown.

"Perhaps you are unaware, that is a name I never allow spoken in my

presence, Mr. Beverley."

"Indeed, Viscount, and pray, why not?"

"For one thing, because he is--what he is--"

"Lady Cleone's brother."

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"Half-brother, sir, and none the less a--knave."

"How--?"

"I mean that he is a card-sharper, a common cheat."

"Her brother--?"

"Half-brother!"

"A cheat! Are you sure?"

"Certain! I had the misfortune to make the discovery. And it killed

him in London, all the clubs shut their doors upon him of course, he

was cut in the streets,--it is damning to be seen in his company or

even to mention his name--now."

"And you--you exposed him?"

"I said I made the discovery; but I kept it to myself. The stakes

were unusually high that night, and we played late. I went home with

him, but Chichester was there, waiting for him. So I took him aside,

and, in as friendly a spirit as I could, told him of my discovery.

He broke down, and, never attempting a denial, offered restitution

and promised amendment. I gave my word to keep silent and, on one

pretext or another, the loser's money was returned. But next week,

the whole town hummed with the news. One night--it was at

White's--he confronted me, and--he gave me--the lie!" The Viscount's

fists were tight clenched, and he stared down blindly at the floor.

"And, sir, though you'll scarcely credit it of course, I--there,

before them all--I took it."

"Of course," said Barnabas, "for Her sake."

"Beverley!" exclaimed the Viscount, looking up with a sudden light

in his eyes. "Oh, Bev!" and their hands met and gripped.

"You couldn't do anything else, Dick."

"No, Bev, no, but I'm glad you understand. Later it got about that

I--that I was--afraid of the fellow--he's a dead shot, they say,

young as he is--and--well, it--it wasn't pleasant, Bev. Indeed it

got worse until I called out one of Chichester's friends, and winged

him--a fellow named Dalton."

"I think I've seen him," said Barnabas, nodding.

"Anyhow, Barrymaine was utterly discredited and done for--he's an

outcast, and to be seen with him, or his friends, is to be damned

also."

"And yet," said Barnabas, sighing and shaking his head, "I must call

upon him to-morrow."

"Call upon him! Man--are you mad?"

"No; but he is her brother, and--"

"And, as I tell you, he is banned by society as a cheat!"

"And is that so great a sin, Dick?"

"Are there any--worse?"

"Oh, yes; one might kill a man in a duel, or dishonor a trusting

woman, or blast a man's character; indeed it seems to me that there

are many greater sins!"




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