Part 11 (1/2)
Lord Avon burst out laughing
”Oh, come now, Belmanoir, that won't do! It really will not! Who is she, indeed!”
”Ay, Belmanoir, who is the black-haired beauty, and where did you find her?” cried Tolass in one hand and a bottle of port in the other
”I thought you were captivated by Cynthia Evans?”
Tracy looked bewildered for the ht dawned on hiton, was it not? I reotten!” cried Avon, and went off into another of the noisy laughs that had ust 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”
”Torejoinder, and Fortescue rubbed his sword arm as if in memory of some hurt ”You pinked ht have been quicker done”
The Viscount, who had been a second at theI ever thaw, 'pon my honour All over in leth than a minute, Avon! Give you ht Devil, Frank? What possessed you?”
”I was more mad than usual, I suppose,” replied Fortescue in his low, rather dreaer He objected ht it out in Hyde Park”
”Gad, yes!” exclaimed his partner, Lord Falo!”
”Two years,” nodded Fortescue, ”but I have not forgotten, you see!”
”Lord, I had! And 'twas the funniest fight I ever saith you as furious as could be and Devil cool as a cucumber You were neveryou thrust so wildly that stap h
'Stead of that he pinks you neatly through the sword-ar 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 a,” admitted Tracy at Fortescue's elbow ”Don't play, Frank”
Fortescue flung his cards face doards on the table ”Curse you, Tracy, you've brought bad luck!” he said entirely without rancour ”I had quite tolerable hands before you caaintht your new grey,” lisped the Viscount, co up to the table, dice-box in hand
”Stap”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
”Trust in your luck, Bel other ht hold on his own
”Ay, take him!” echoed Falmouth
”Don't,” said Fortescue
”Of course I shall take hiainst your chestnut and the best of three Will you throw?”
The Viscount rattled his box with a flourish Two threes and a one turned up
With a hand on Fortescue's shoulder, and one foot on the rung of his chair, Tracy leaned forward and cast his own dice on to the table He had beaten the Viscount's throw by five The next toss Fotheringham won, but the last fell to his Grace
”damnathion!” said the Viscount cheerfully ”Will you thtake your grey againtht haly ”Don't stake the Terror!”
”Nonthenth! Do you take me, Belmanoir?”
”Certainly,” said the Duke, and threw
”Oh, an you are in a gaht to try my hand with the dark beauty!” called Markhaainst what?” asked Fortescue
”Oh, what he wills!”
The Viscount had cast and lost, and his Grace won the second throw
”It appears ainst your estates, Markha
”No, no! Keep the lady!”
”I intend to, in to wonder whether she altogether suits my palate” He drew out his snuff-box and offered it to his host, and the other , allowed the subject to drop
In the course of the evening his Grace won three thousand guineastwo at orey hunter and won hi, to whom he had fallen He came away at three o'clock in coh his Grace, for his part, had iundy, and more punch than any ordinaryvery much the worse for wear
As my Lord Avon's door closed behind them, Tracy turned to his friend: ”Shall alk, Frank?”
”Since our ways lie together, yes,” replied Fortescue, linking his arm in the Duke's
”Down Brock Street and across the Circus is our quickest way”
They strolled down the road for a fewa 1inkht, which was answered in a very beery voice, but the Duke said nothing Frank looked into his dark-browed face thoughtfully
”You've had the luck, to-night, Tracy”
”Moderately I hoped entirely to repair last week's losses”
”You are in debt, I suppose?”
”I believe so”
”To what extent, Tracy?”