"Why, to be sure. He's worth millions they say. Stanley & Son, South American sugar. Anyone in the city would confirm my statements, but you don't know the city of course-- Lieutenant Kingsland could tell you more about him if you cared to hear it," and she moved away as the gentlemen entered the room, and running up to Stanley, exclaimed:-- "You've been an interminable length of time over your cigars. Men are so selfish and I'm simply dying for a game of hearts." "You play it so much I should think you would tire of it," he said, smiling. "Tut! tut! naughty man! This is serious business. Sixpence a heart, and you mustn't win, for I'm quite impoverished. You'll be one of the party, Jack," she continued, turning to Kingsland, who had just come up. "Nothing I should like better. I always approve of assisting the undeserving," replied the Lieutenant, and added: "I'll get Lady Isabelle to join us." A very valuable piece of assistance, as her Ladyship would hardly have done so on Miss Fitzgerald's unsupported invitation; and since it was manifestly an affair of the young people, this deflection might have ruined all. The Lieutenant's request, however, had due weight, and she graciously consented to join the party, which was further augmented by Mr. Riddle, who declared that "young people" meant anyone who felt young, and so he did not intend to be excluded. The cards were accordingly shuffled, but during the deal, Belle discovered that though she had a pencil, no paper for scoring was anywhere obtainable. "Oh, any old scrap will do," she said. "Surely some of you gentlemen have an old envelope on which we can keep tally. Jack? Mr. Riddle?" Both gentlemen professed to an utter absence of any available material. "You, Jim--then?" she queried, turning to the Secretary. "I don't generally carry my correspondence round in my evening clothes," he protested, laughing. "Idiot!" she retorted, with an affected depth of scorn. "How can you tell unless you've looked?" "Oh well," he replied, "to please you----" and thrust his hand into the pocket of his coat. "Why," he exclaimed, "here is something! I declare, it's that mysterious letter which I intercepted at the Hyde Park Club night before last. Let me see, Kingsland, I think it dropped from the ceiling into your hands." "The letter belongs to me," came the keen voice of Mr. Riddle. "To you!" said Stanley, in genuine surprise. "Yes. I gave it to Lieutenant Kingsland at the Hyde Park Club." "But surely," contended the Secretary, "Lieutenant Kingsland told me, only that morning, that he didn't know who you were." Silence fell on the little company. The Lieutenant flushed and moved uneasily in his seat, and Miss Fitzgerald leaned forward with a strained look in her face, while the keen, restless eye of Mr. Riddle swept round the table, taking in all present at a glance. Then he spoke, with quick decision.