"Your command shall be obeyed. From this moment his name shall never be mentioned by me"; and he mentally admired the clever way in which she had wriggled out of an untenable situation. But the object of his visit had still to be approached, and at this moment an inspiration how to approach it came opportunely. The mention of poor dear Jim suggested lines upon which he might proceed with safety. "I come on a serious errand, madame," said he, softly. "Yes!" she did not know what he meant, and under the circumstances did not intend to inquire. To advance under the guns of masked batteries was never Leah's mode of campaigning. "Your husband--pardon, your late husband--played bridge," said the diplomatist, so crudely as to render himself unworthy of the name. "I believe he did." "Assuredly; and with me on occasions. Twelve months ago we were a party of five at Torquay." "I believe Jim did go there sometimes. Go on." "It is hard to go on, madame," said Aksakoff, with feigned nervousness, "as I have a confession to make." "I grant you absolution beforehand." "You are too good. Then I can repay you by handing over the money." "What money?" "My losses at bridge. Yes; with your husband and others I played a great deal--unfortunately for my pockets." She noticed the misused plural and smiled. "Most people made that remark grammatically, when they played with Jim. So you lost?" "Two thousand pounds." The exact sum he had mentioned at Monte Carlo. At once she saw that he wished to pay wages on a sufficiently plausible pretext. The money would have been useful to pay Strange and Jim, so that she could keep her thirty thousand pounds intact; but, strangely enough in so unscrupulous a woman, she could not make up her mind to finger such dirty gold. "Death pays all debts," she said quietly. "On the part of the corpse, assuredly. But those who live have to reckon with the executors." "In that case you had better see the Marquis of Frith. He is poor Jim's executor." "Ah, no, madame; be kind. I should have paid this money before, but my salary did not permit. What would M. le Marquis say if I confessed that I delayed so long to pay a debt of honour?" "What does it matter, so long as you do pay?" "It matters much amongst men," said Aksakoff, stiffly. "But you, a woman, and a clever woman," he added with emphasis, "will understand. I pray you, madame, to take my cheque for the full amount, and permit my mind to be at rest." Lady Jim, priding herself on performing a hard penance for her late rascality, shook her head. "No," said she, seriously; "I am quite sure that Jim, who was often in a hole himself, would not have been hard on you. Had he lived the money would have been a godsend to him--I admit that; but I really cannot take payment of any gambling debts. It would not be right," she finished virtuously.