'That's a blue look-out,' said he, turning himself in his chair 'just when £60 or £70 might make a fellow for life! You could borrow it from your friend Broune.'
'I will do no such thing, Felix. £50 or £60 would make very little difference in the expense of such a trip as this. I suppose you have some money?'
'Some;--yes, some. But I'm so short that any little thing would help me.' Before the evening was over she absolutely did give him a cheque for £30 although she had spoken the truth in saying that she had not so much at her banker's.
After this he went back to his club, although he himself understood the danger. He could not bear the idea of going to bed, quietly at home at half-past ten. He got into a cab, and was very soon up in the card-room. He found nobody there, and went to the smoking-room, where Dolly Longestaffe and Miles Grendall were sitting silently together, with pipes in their mouths. 'Here's Carbury,' said Dolly, waking suddenly into life. 'Now we can have a game at three-handed loo.'
'Thank ye; not for me,' said Sir Felix. 'I hate three-handed loo.'
'Dummy,' suggested Dolly.
'I don't think I'll play to-night, old fellow. I hate three fellows sticking down together.' Miles sat silent, smoking his pipe, conscious of the baronet's dislike to play with him. 'By-the-by, Grendall look here.' And Sir Felix in his most friendly tone whispered into his enemy's ear a petition that some of the I.O.U.'s might be converted into cash.
''Pon my word, I must ask you to wait till next week,' said Miles.
'It's always waiting till next week with you,' said Sir Felix, getting up and standing with his back to the fireplace. There were other men in the room, and this was said so that every one should hear it. 'I wonder whether any fellow would buy these for five shillings in the pound?' And he held up the scraps of paper in his hand. He had been drinking freely before he went up to Welbeck Street, and had taken a glass of brandy on re-entering the club.
'Don't let's have any of that kind of thing down here,' said Dolly. 'If there is to be a row about cards, let it be in the card-room.'
'Of course,' said Miles. 'I won't say a word about the matter down here. It isn't the proper thing.'
'Come up into the card-room, then,' said Sir Felix, getting up from his chair. 'It seems to me that it makes no difference to you, what room you're in. Come up, now; and Dolly Longestaffe shall come and hear what you say.' But Miles Grendall objected to this arrangement. He was not going up into the card-room that night, as no one was going to play. He would be there to-morrow, and then if Sir Felix Carbury had anything to say, he could say it.