The next time the horses started the sum staked by Jessica was much bigger, and she won again. Again she staked, and again she won; and again; and yet again. The crowd gathered about the table began to murmur. It grew excited when Jessica, backing different animals, won three times more in succession. By that time Yootha was panting with excitement. Jessica, as soon as she had realized that her luck still prevailed, had gone practically nap every time with Yootha’s money as well as her own. Yootha’s breast rose and fell, her lips were parted, her eyes shone strangely as she watched her companion staking and winning now on almost every race. If she lost once she won twice. If she lost twice she won generally three or four times directly afterwards. Yootha, with her winnings piled in front of her, was about to speak to Jessica, when her eyes met Preston’s. Her lover, standing facing her on the opposite side of the table, was calmly smoking his cigar. He made no movement, nor did his expression betray either approval or disapproval. He merely looked hard at her without smiling. “Make Captain Preston come and sit near us,” Yootha heard Jessica saying. “He looks so sad there alone. Doesn’t he ever play? Has he no vices at all? Take my advice, Yootha--think twice before marrying a man who boasts that he has no vices!” “But he doesn’t boast anything of the sort--he doesn’t boast at all,” Yootha retorted, nettled, for again Jessica’s tone annoyed her. She caught Preston’s eye once more and made a sign to him; but he only shook his head and smiled rather coldly. “You must teach him to play after you are married, dear,” Jessica said. “I know that he has played,” and she smiled oddly. “Look at the sum you have amassed to-night through taking my advice. Now I am going to stake again four times, and, after that, win or lose, we stop.” She staked heavily, and lost; then staked heavily again, and won three times in succession. Then she rose, and Yootha did the same, and at once other players took their seats. Yootha was beside herself. Though the sum she had won was small by comparison with the amount won by Jessica, to her it seemed a lot, perhaps because she had never played before. “Let us go back and win some more,” she exclaimed excitedly, casting a furtive glance backward at the table they had just left. “I do love it so! Are you always as lucky as that, Jessica?” In the excitement of the moment she seemed quite to have forgotten her aversion for Mrs. Mervyn-Robertson; she had even forgotten her lover’s presence until he suddenly approached. “Was I not right not to take your advice?” she said to him gaily. “You ought to have played, Charlie, you really ought. You have no idea what fun it is.” “Haven’t I?” he answered, looking down at her. “I wish I hadn’t--I should be a rich man to-day.” “Yes,” Jessica cut in with a curious laugh. “I have been told that years ago Captain Preston lost thousands on the turf and at cards.”