"Cecil," he said, "my life has been spoilt by paying for your excesses. Ever since I came of age I have been hampered all the time by paying your debts and providing you with money. I even let you pose here as the master of the Red Hall because it pleased you. I have had enough of it. If you run up any more debts, you must pay them yourself. I am master here and I intend to remain so." Cecil was suddenly pale. "Do you mean," he asked, "that you intend to remain here now?" Andrew hesitated. "Your guests are leaving," he said. "Why not?" "But they may not go until to-morrow or the next day," Cecil said. "I cannot turn them out." Andrew stood for a moment looking thoughtfully at the door. "They cannot stay more than a day," he said, "if Major Forrest is really their friend. In any case, I shall not return until they are gone." Cecil's face cleared a little, but he was still perplexed. "They had just promised," he said, "to stay another week." "If you wish to entertain the Princess and Miss Le Mesurier," Andrew said, "and they are willing to stop after what has passed, I have nothing, of course, to say against it. But the man Forrest I will not have here. If ever cheat and coward were written in a man's face, your friend carries the marks in his." "He has won nothing to speak of from me here," Cecil declared. "You are probably too small game," Andrew answered. "How about Engleton? Did he lose?" "I am not sure," Cecil answered. "Not very much, if anything." The Princess came rustling back. She held her little spaniel up to her cheek, and she affected not to notice the somewhat strained attitude of the two men. She went at once to Andrew. "Mr. De la Borne," she said, "I think that you have been very unjust and very rude to Major Forrest, who is an old friend of mine. I am sure that you have been misled, and I am sure that some day you will ask his pardon." Andrew bowed slightly, and looked her straight in the face. "Princess," he said, "may I ask how long you have known the gentleman who has just left us?" "For a very great many years," she answered. "Why?" "Are you sure of your own knowledge," Andrew asked, "that he is really a person of good repute and against whom there have been no scandalous reports?" "I do not listen to gossip," the Princess answered. "Major Forrest goes everywhere in London, and I have seen nothing in his deportment at any time to induce me to withdraw my friendship." "I fancy, then," Andrew said, "that some day you will find you have been a little deceived." "What about Lord Ronald?" the Princess asked. "Perhaps, Mr. De la Borne, you think that we are all a little company of adventurers. This is such a likely spot for our operations, isn't it?" "Lord Ronald," Andrew said, "is the brother of my old friend, and he is, of course, above suspicion, but Lord Ronald appears to have left you somewhat abruptly, I might almost say mysteriously."