Carnaby's smile vanished, and he stared up at calm-eyed Barnabas in

open-mouthed astonishment.

"You're not mad, are you?" he demanded at last, his red under-lip

curling.

"Sir," said Barnabas, taking out his memorandum, "it is now your

turn to answer. Do you take my bet?"

"Take it!" cried Sir Mortimer fiercely, "yes! I'll double it--make

it ten thousand guineas, sir!"

"Fifteen if you wish," said Barnabas, his pencil poised.

"No, by God! but I'll add another five and make it an even twenty

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thousand!"

"May I suggest you double instead, and make it thirty?" inquired

Barnabas.

"Ha!--may I venture to ask how much higher you are prepared to go?"

"Why, sir," said Barnabas thoughtfully, "I have some odd six hundred

thousand pounds, and I am prepared to risk--a half."

"Vastly fine, sir!" laughed Sir Mortimer, "why not put it at a round

million and have done with it. No, egad! I want something more than

your word--"

"You might inquire of my bankers," Barnabas suggested.

"Twenty thousand will suit me very well, sir!" nodded Sir Mortimer.

"Then you take me at that figure, Sir Mortimer?"

"Yes, I bet you twenty thousand guineas that you do not pass the

winning-post ahead of me! And what's more,--non-starters to forfeit

their money! Oh, egad,--I'll take you!"

"And I also," said Mr. Chichester, opening his betting-book. "Gentlemen,

you are all witnesses of the bet. Come, Viscount,--Slingsby,--here's

good money going a-begging--why not gather it in--eh, Marquis?" But

the trio sat very silent, so that the scratch of Sir Mortimer's pencil

could be plainly heard as he duly registered his bet, which done,

he turned his attention to Barnabas again, looking him up and down

with his bold, black eyes.

"Hum!" said he musingly, "it sticks in my mind that I have seen

you--somewhere or other, before we met at Sir George Annersley's.

Perhaps you will tell me where?"

"With pleasure, sir," answered Barnabas, putting away his memorandum

book, "it was in Annersley Wood, rather early in the morning. And

you wore--"

"Annersley--Wood!" Sir Mortimer's careless, lounging air vanished,

and he stared at Barnabas with dilating eyes.

"And you wore, I remember, a bottle-green coat, which I had the

misfortune to tear, sir."

And here there fell a silence, once more, but ominous now, and full

of menace; a pregnant stillness, wherein the Viscount sat leaned

forward, his hands clutching his chair-arms, his gaze fixed upon

Barnabas; as for the Marquis, he had taken out his snuff-box and, in

his preoccupation, came very near inhaling a pinch; while Captain

Slingsby sat open-mouthed. Then, all at once, Sir Mortimer was on

his feet and had caught up a heavy riding-whip, and thus he and

Barnabas fronted each other, eye to eye,--each utterly still, yet

very much on the alert.




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