Without stopping to think twice, he jumped on an omnibus. 'Why shouldn't I go? I can stick myself somewhere out of sight. I wonder how many of our Eleven I know ?"

He counted them on his fingers. He wanted to see and yet not be seen.

Just as he was getting off the seat he had occupied by the driver's side, a carriage passed by. Lord Launton was in it, with the countess and two other ladies.

Frank saw the danger he should run of seeing a number of old and inquisitive acquaintances.

He hesitated a moment in the dusty road.

"No-it's nothing to me. I've no interest in it now. I won't go in. Besides, it's half-a-crown, I think."

He took the footway, and set his face towards Regent's Park.

He had not walked a dozen steps when an immense hand and arm were linked in his. He felt a friendly pull towards some great figure; and, looking up, was astonished beyond measure to see himself arm-in-arm with his cousin, Dick Mortiboy.

Frank, old man!" cried Dick, crushing Frank's hand in his cordial grasp, "I would have given fifty pounds to find you, and here you are. I saw you getting off the 'bus."

Frank was surprised, and a little annoyed.

"After all, I've got no quarrel with Dick," he thought; and his face cleared, and he returned his cousin's salute. Dick Mortiboy was accompanied by a thin, palefaced man, slight and foreign-looking.

"Lafleur-my cousin Frank," said Dick, introducing him. "Fool of an Englishman," thought Lafleur, staring at Frank's bright, handsome face. "I leave you with your cousin. The cricket is not a game I care to waste time over,” said he, softly. "We shall meet to-morrow, Dick. You will let me go now.'

"To-morrow, at eleven. My old partner, Frank. Many is the jovial day we have had together.'

"I don't like his looks."

"Insular prejudice, my cousin. Why have you never sent me your address, as you promised? Do you not know what has happened? The governor has got a stroke, and I've got all the money. We've all been trying to find you out. And here you are. I shan't let you go again in a hurry, I promise you."

He looked Frank up and down.

"Dressed fit for Broadway. Come on in."

Dick paid for two at the gate, and they were on the ground.

Dick watched the match with great earnestness.

He was

a splendid hand at games of skill himself. He knew nobody, nobody knew him. But his height, his splendid beard and brown face, and his careless dress, attracted observation. He only wanted people to bet with on the match to make him happy.

Frank saw lots of old friends.

They asked him his address.

66

Only in town for a few days," he said, with an airy laugh. At length Dick got tired of it.

66 Come on, old man. I've had enough, if you have. Let's go."

At the gates, as they went out, stood a man who had been Frank's greatest friend at college. They had rowed together, driven to Newmarket together, got plucked together, written to each other until the smash came.

"Frank, by gad!" cried the man, running down the steps. "Shake hands, old fellow. And how are you? And what are you doing? Tell me you've got over your troubles. heard all about it."

I

It was like a burst of sunshine, after the wretched time of the last few months, to find men who were glad to shake hands with him.

Frank tried to laugh; but his mirth was rather a hollow thing.

"I'm well, you see, Evelyn. That is, I'm not starving yet. But there's no money, and I'm still in a parenthetical stage of life."

"You know my address, Frank-give me yours. Let me help you, for old times' sake."

"Thank you, my dear Evelyn. It's like you to make the offer. Good-bye. I'll give you an address-when I've got

one."

He left him, and walked quickly away on Dick's arm. He could not bear to let anybody help him with money. And yet Evelyn was longing to give his old friend help.

What is there in this word money, that I may neither give it nor take it? Why should I be degraded if a man slips a sovereign in my hand? Sovereigns are not plentiful. I

should like the money. I am not degraded if a man leaves me a legacy of many sovereigns.

- 66

"Come," said Dick Mortiboy to Frank, when they had got out of their Hansom in Piccadilly, you are not engaged tonight. Come and dine with me. After dinner we will talk. I hate talking before. Let us have a game at billiards first.”

He led the way to a public room near Jermyn-street. There were two or three men idly knocking the balls about. Dick took up a cue and made a stroke, missing it.

"Will you play fifty or a hundred up, Frank ?"

"I play very badly. I am quite out of practice." "Well, let it be fifty then," said Dick.

The room was one of bad repute. It was frequented by sharpers. There were three in the room-of course perfect strangers to one another.

Dick Mortiboy didn't know the character of the room he was in, and didn't care. He could give an account of himself anywhere. For his part, Frank had not played a game at billiards since he left Market Basing.

He was not amusement for Dick, for he played like a man wholly out of practice.

The gentlemen in the room became interested in the first fifty up between Dick and Frank, and one bet another a wager of half-a-crown on the result.

Dick won, and the loser offered to bet again, if the tall gentleman gave the other points. Dick did give points. The man-whom the marker called "Captain"-then offered to bet Dick Mortiboy half-a-crown his friend beat him. Dick took the bet, won it, and pocketed the half-crown. He was going to play another game with Frank, but was stopped by the marker.

"This is a public table, sir. Two fifty games, or one hundred, between the same players; then another gentleman has the table, if he likes to take it."

Dick was a little annoyed, but gave way.

66 Should you like to play a game, sir ?" said the marker to the man he had called Captain.

The fellow was a seedy swell, in clothes that had been fast twelve months ago, but now were well worn. His hat and boots showed signs of poverty.

"I should: but I don't wish to prevent these gentlemen from playing, I'm sure. I'll give way; but, really, I can't stay many minutes."

"Well, perhaps the gentleman that won will play a game with you-if you don't mind playing the winner ?" the marker said.

"All right," said Dick, and pulled off his coat.

The Captain played badly: so did Dick.

Both were playing dark.

"Twenty all" was called.

"Shall we have a crown on, sir, to 'liven the game ?" said the stranger.

"I'll back myself for a sovereign," said Dick.

"I don't often play for a sovereign a game," said the Captain; "but I don't mind doing it for once.'

When Spot (the stranger) was forty, Plain (Dick) was only thirty-five.

"Make it a hundred up, sir, and have another sov on," said Spot.

"Done," said Plain.

Dick had bets, too, with the other two strangers and the marker.

At the end of the game, he had four pounds five shillings to pay.

Frank spoke his suspicions, in a low tone, before this game was finished.

Dick only nodded: he had seen they were common sharpers from the moment he entered the room.

"I'll let them have it," he said.

They played another game-Frank watching Dick's play. Up to the time the marker cried "sixty-seventy-two," Dick was behind generally about a dozen. His bets amounted to nearly twenty pounds with the three men.

Up to sixty he had played in a slovenly manner. point he took up his сие, and scored out in two breaks.

At that

His play was superb. He was within a few points in a hundred of the best professional form. One of the men was going to leave the room. Dick called him back, and promised to finish the game in three minutes, and did it.

He asked the Captain if he would like another game? "Not with a professional sharp. Though who you are, I don't know."

"You'll pay up then, gentlemen ?" asked Dick.

One of the other men whispered the Captain.

'My friend suggests that it would be well if you were to give your name, sir. It is not usual to see men play in your

fashion. You have sharped us, sir-sharped us. your name and address-we are not going to part.'

Give us

"Now, Captain," said Dick, "you've been licked, and licked easy. You may take it fighting, or you may take it quiet. Which shall it be?"

"Come on, Tom, don't let him bustle us out of Captain; "I'll take it fighting."

There were four altogether, with the marker.

it," said the

They made

a rush on Dick. Frank, not unmindful of Eton days, took them in flank, while Dick received them in front.

They had not the ghost of a chance. It was a mere affair of fists-a sort of light skirmish, which warmed up Dick's blood, and made him rejoice once more, like a Berserker, in the battle. And, after three minutes, the four fell back, and the Cousins stood with their backs against the wall, laughing.

"And now," said Dick, “ open the door, Frank."

He stepped forward, seized the marker, who was foremost, by the coat-collar, and bore him swiftly to the door-the others not interfering. There was a great crash of breaking banisters. The marker had been thrown down the stairs.

"Don't let us fight with servants," said Dick; "let us have it out like gentlemen. Now then, Captain, we're all ready again."

"Let us go," said the Captain, with a pale face, handing Dick the money. "You have sharped and bustled us, and

you want to bully us."

"You shall go when you have apologized to me, Captainnot before. You other two, get out."

He looked so fierce, and was undoubtedly so heavy about the fist, that the other two, taking their hats, departed swiftly, with such dignity as their wounds allowed.

"Now, Captain, let us two have a little explanation. I like rooking the rooks. I go about doing it. Beg my pardon, sir, or I'll spoil your play too, for a month of Sundays."

He seized the poor billiard-player by the collar, and shook him as if he had been a child.

"You may do what you like," said the man. "You have got every farthing I have in the world, and my little child's ill; but I'm hanged if I beg your pardon."

66

'Dick, Dick," said Frank, "give him back his money."

But, at the sight of the man's misery, Dick's wrath had suddenly vanished.

"Poor devil!" he said. "I've had some bad times myself,