Betty’s angry tears dried miraculously in her eyes, her lips shut tight together, and she looked stonily at Marion. Then she rose and, scattering her sympathizers right and left, walked directly across the room to Perry, who stared at her in terror. Again silence crept down upon the room. “Will you have the decency to grant me five minutes’ conversation--or wasn’t that included in your plans?” He nodded, his mouth unable to form words. Indicating coldly that he was to follow her she walked out into the hall with her chin uptilted and headed for the privacy of one of the little card-rooms. Perry started after her, but was brought to a jerky halt by the failure of his hind legs to function. “You stay here!” he commanded savagely. “I can’t,” whined a voice from the hump, “unless you get out first and let me get out.” Perry hesitated, but unable any longer to tolerate the eyes of the curious crowd he muttered a command and the camel moved carefully from the room on its four legs. Betty was waiting for him. “Well,” she began furiously, “you see what you’ve done! You and that crazy license! I told you you shouldn’t have gotten it!” “My dear girl, I--” “Don’t say ‘dear girl’ to me! Save that for your real wife if you ever get one after this disgraceful performance. And don’t try to pretend it wasn’t all arranged. You know you gave that colored waiter money! You know you did! Do you mean to say you didn’t try to marry me?” “No--of course--” “Yes, you’d better admit it! You tried it, and now what are you going to do? Do you know my father’s nearly crazy? It’ll serve you right if he tries to kill you. He’ll take his gun and put some cold steel in you. Even if this wed--this _thing_ can be annulled it’ll hang over me all the rest of my life!” Perry could not resist quoting softly: “‘Oh, camel, wouldn’t you like to belong to the pretty snake-charmer for all your--’” “Shut-up!” cried Betty. There was a pause. “Betty,” said Perry finally, “there’s only one thing to do that will really get us out clear. That’s for you to marry me.” “Marry you!” “Yes. Really it’s the only--” “You shut up! I wouldn’t marry you if--if--” “I know. If I were the last man on earth. But if you care anything about your reputation--” “Reputation!” she cried. “You’re a nice one to think about my reputation _now_. Why didn’t you think about my reputation before you hired that horrible Jumbo to--to--” Perry tossed up his hands hopelessly. “Very well. I’ll do anything you want. Lord knows I renounce all claims!” “But,” said a new voice, “I don’t.” Perry and Betty started, and she put her hand to her heart. “For Heaven’s sake, what was that?” “It’s me,” said the camel’s back. In a minute Perry had whipped off the camel’s skin, and a lax, limp object, his clothes hanging on him damply, his hand clenched tightly on an almost empty bottle, stood defiantly before them.