Tracy looked bewildered for the moment, and then a light dawned on him.
"Evans! Ah, yes! The saucy widow who lived in Kensington, was it not? I remember."
"He had forgotten!" cried Avon, and went off into another of the noisy laughs that had more than once caused Mr. Nash to shudder and to close his august eyes. "You'll be the death of me, Devil! Gad! but you will!"
"Oh, I trust not. Thank you, Wilding." He accepted the glass that Tom offered, and sipped delicately.
"But you've not answered!" reminded Fortescue from another table. He dealt the cards round expertly. "Is it hands off, perhaps?"
"Certainly," replied his Grace. "It generally is, Frank, as you know."
"To my cost!" was the laughing rejoinder, and Fortescue rubbed his sword arm as if in memory of some hurt. "You pinked me finely, Tracy!"
"Clumsily, Frank, clumsily. It might have been quicker done."
The Viscount, who had been a second at the meeting, tittered amiably.
"Neatetht thing I ever thaw, 'pon my honour. All over in leth than a minute, Avon! Give you my word!"
"Never knew you had fought Devil, Frank? What possessed you?"
"I was more mad than usual, I suppose," replied Fortescue in his low, rather dreamy voice, "and I interfered between Tracy and his French singer. He objected most politely, and we fought it out in Hyde Park."
"Gad, yes!" exclaimed his partner, Lord Falmouth. "Why, I was Devil's second! But it was ages ago!"
"Two years," nodded Fortescue, "but I have not forgotten, you see!"
"Lord, I had! And 'twas the funniest fight I ever saw, with you as furious as could be and Devil cool as a cucumber. You were never much of a swordsman, Frank, but that morning you thrust so wildly that stap me if I didn't think Devil would run you through. 'Stead of that he pinks you neatly through the sword-arm, and damme if you didn't burst out laughing fit to split! And then we all walked off to breakfast with you, Frank, as jolly as sandboys. Heavens, yes That was a fight!"
"It was amusing," admitted Tracy at Fortescue's elbow. "Don't play, Frank."
Fortescue flung his cards face downwards on the table. "Curse you, Tracy, you've brought bad luck!" he said entirely without rancour. "I had quite tolerable hands before you came."
"Belmanoir, I will thtake my chestnut mare 'gaintht your new grey," lisped the Viscount, coming up to the table, dice-box in hand.
"Stap me, but that is too bad!" cried Wilding. "Don't take him, Devil! Have you seen the brute?"
The four players had finished their card-playing and were quite ready for the dice.