He became serious in an instant, putting the question as though his favor depended upon her answer in the negative. Anna, however, quite ignored the suggestion when she replied.
"I came to speak to you about Ascot, father--"
"About Ascot--who's Ascot?"
"The races at Ascot. I ran a horse there and lost five thousand pounds."
"What--you lost--come, Anna, my dear child--you lost--think of it again--you lost fifty pounds? And who the devil took you there, I want to know--who's been playing the fool? I don't agree with young girls betting. I'll have none of that sort of thing in this house. Just tell him so--whoever he is. I'll have none of it, and if it's that--"
He broke off at the words, arrested in his banter by the sudden memory of a name. As in a flash he perceived the truth. The man Forrest was at the bottom of this.
"Now be plain with me," he cried, "you've seen Willy Forrest again and this is his doing. Yes or no, Anna? Don't you tell me a lie. It's Forrest--he took you to Ascot?"
She smiled at his anger.
"I ran a horse named Lodestar under the name of Count Donato. I believed that he would win and he lost. That's the story, father. Why drag any names into it?"
He regarded her, too amazed to speak. His daughter, this bit of a schoolgirl as he persisted in calling her, she had run a race-horse in her own name? What a thing to hear! But was it an evil thing. The girl had plenty of courage certainly. Very few would have had the pluck to do it at all. Of course it was unlucky that she had not won--but, after all, that could soon be put straight.
"You ran a race-horse--but who trained it for you? where did you keep it? Why did I know nothing about it? Look here, Anna, this isn't dealing very fair with me. I have never denied you any pleasure--you know I haven't. If you wanted to play this game, why couldn't you have come to me and told me so? I wouldn't have denied you--but five thousand; you're not serious about that--you don't mean to say that you lost five thousand pounds?"
"I lost five thousand pounds, father--and I must pay the money. They will call me a cheat if I do not. It must be paid on Monday--Willy says so--"
He turned upon her with a shout that was almost a roar. She knew in an instant how foolish she had been.
"Willy Forrest--did you lose the money to him? Come, speak out. I shall get at the truth somehow--did you lose the money to him?"