"
"I daresay I should have lost the money if he hadn't," said Mary kindly.
In her heart, she wished that she had been given the chance, as at least
she would then have had some amusement, before the money was gone. And
certainly it was an odd coincidence that the loss should have happened
just before she had suggested playing for herself again. She could not
help remembering Dodo's parting shot at the Dauntreys. She wished that
the idea had not been put into her head; for though she would not
believe that Lord Dauntrey had robbed her, she saw that it was a mistake
to have lent him the capital--a mistake from his point of view, as well
as her own. The money was gone; and even if there were something wrong
in the way of its going, she could not prove the wrong. Nor did she wish
to try. She wished to believe the story Lady Dauntrey had told, which
might easily be true. Yet there would always remain the little crawling
snake of doubt; and that was not fair to Lord Dauntrey.
"It's too, too bad, and we are both terribly upset," Eve went on
heavily. "But it's the fortune of war, isn't it? And, thank goodness,
you've got plenty left of what the Casino's given you, I hope, in spite
of that awful Christmas night."
"Oh, yes, I've got more, in Smith's Bank," said Mary. "I can draw some
out to-morrow, and begin playing again. Tell Lord Dauntrey he mustn't
mind as far as I'm concerned."
"I did tell him you'd be sporting, and that you were a good plucked one,
but I couldn't console him.
Pages:
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317