The Princess took up a fresh pack of cards, and let them fall idly through her fingers. Then she took a cigarette from the gold case which hung from her chatelaine, and lit it. "One more rubber, then," she said. "After that we will go to bed." The others came toward the table, and the Princess threw down the cards. They all three cut. Engleton, however, did not move. "I think," he said, "that you did not quite understand me. I said that I did not care to play any more." "Three against one," the Princess remarked lightly. "Why not play cut-throat, then?" Engleton remarked. "It would be an excellent arrangement." "Why so?" Forrest asked. "Because you could rob one another," Engleton said. "It would be interesting to watch." A few seconds intense silence followed Engleton's words. It was the Princess who spoke first. Her tone was composed but chilly. She looked toward Engleton with steady eyes. "My dear Lord Ronald," she said, "is this a joke? I am afraid my sense of humour grows a little dull at this hour of the morning." "It was not meant for a joke," Engleton said. "My words were spoken in earnest." The Princess, without any absolute movement, seemed suddenly to become more erect. One forgot her rouge, her blackened eyebrows, her powdered cheeks. It was the great lady who looked at Engleton. "Are we to take this, Lord Ronald," she asked, "as a serious accusation?" "You can take it for what it is, madam," Engleton answered--"the truth." Cecil de la Borne rose to his feet and leaned across the table. His cheeks were as pale as death. His voice was shaking. "I am your host, Engleton," he said, "and I demand an explanation of what you have said. Your accusation is absurd. You must be drunk or out of your senses." "I am neither drunk nor out of my senses," Engleton answered, "nor am I such an utter fool as to be so easily deceived. The fact that you, as my partner, played like an idiot, made rotten declarations, and revoked when one rubber was nearly won, I pass over. That may or may not have been your miserable idea of the game. Apart from that, however, I regret to have discovered that you, Forrest, and you, madam," he added, addressing the Princess, "have made use throughout the last seven rubbers of a code with your fingers, both for the declarations and for the leads. My suspicions were aroused, I must confess, by accident. It was remarkably easy, however, to verify them. Look here!" Engleton touched his forehead. "Hearts!" he said. He touched his lip. "Diamonds!" he added. He passed his fingers across his eyebrows. "Clubs!" he remarked. He beat with his fourth finger softly upon the table. "Spades!" Major Forrest rose to his feet. "Lord Ronald," he said, "I am exceedingly sorry that owing to my introduction you have become a guest in this house. As for your ridiculous accusation, I deny it." "And I," the Princess murmured.