Eleanor, who like many intellectuals found her excitement in fields where chance was eliminated, protested that ten cents a point was too high, but her objections were swept away by Lydia. "Oh, no, Eleanor; play for beans if you want; but if you are going to gamble at all----" Tim Andrews interrupted. "My dear Lydia," he said, "I feel it only right to tell you that the Anti-Lydia Club was being organized when you arrived. Its membership consists of all those you have bullied, and its object is to oppose you in all small matters." "Whether I'm right or not, Tim?" "Everybody's worst when they're right," murmured Eleanor. "We decided before you came that we all wished to play five cents a point," Tim continued firmly. "All right," said Lydia briskly. "Only you know it bores me, and it bores Bobby, too, doesn't it, Bobby?" "Not particularly," replied Dorset; "but I know if it bores you none of us will have a pleasant time." Lydia smiled. "Is that an insult or a tribute?" Bobby smiled back at her. "I think it's an insult, but you rather like it." Half an hour later they were playing for ten cents a point. CHAPTER II Lydia had offered to drop Bobby at the railroad station on her way home, although she had to go a few miles out of her way to do it. He was going back to town. It was dark by the time they started. She liked the feeling of having him there tucked in beside her while she absolutely controlled his destiny for the next half hour. She liked even to take risks with his life, more precious to her at least for the time than any other, in the hope that he would protest, but he never did. He understood his Lydia. After a few minutes she observed, "I suppose you know Eleanor has a new young man." "Intensely interesting, or absolutely worth while?" he asked. "Both, according to her. She's bringing him out at the Piers' this evening. She was just asking me to be nice to him." "Like asking the boa constrictor to be nice to a newborn lamb, isn't it?" "If I'm nice to her men it gives her a feeling of confidence in them." "If you're nice to them you take them away from her." "No, Bobby. It's a funny thing, but it isn't so easy as you think to get Eleanor's men away from her." "Ah, you've tried?" "She has a funny kind of hold on them. It's her brains. She has brains, and they appreciate it. I don't often want her men. They're apt to be so dreadful. Do you remember the biologist with the pearl buttons on his boots? This one is in politics--or something. He has a funny name--O'Bannon." "Oh, yes--Dan O'Bannon." "You know him?" "I used to know him in college. Lord, he was a wild man in those days!" Bobby snickered reminiscently. "And now he's the local district attorney." "What does a district attorney do, Bobby?" "Why, he's a fellow elected by the county to prosecute----"