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little, as Miles could, at present, as easily have raised L40,000.  However, he gave his I.O.U. to his opponent with an easy air.  Grasslough, also, was impecunious; but he had a father,—­also impecunious, indeed; but with them the matter would not be hopeless.  Dolly Longestaffe was so tipsy that he could not even assist in making up his own account.  That was to be left between him and Carbury for some future occasion.

‘I suppose you’ll be here to-morrow,—­that is to-night,’ said Miles.

‘Certainly,—­only one thing,’ answered Felix.

‘What one thing?’

‘I think these things should be squared before we play any more!’

‘What do you mean by that?’ said Grasslough angrily.  ’Do you mean to hint anything?’

‘I never hint anything, my Grassy,’ said Felix.  ’I believe when people play cards, it’s intended to be ready-money, that’s all.  But I’m not going to stand on P’s and Q’s with you.  I’ll give you your revenge to-night.’

‘That’s all right,’ said Miles.

‘I was speaking to Lord Grasslough,’ said Felix.  ’He is an old friend, and we know each other.  You have been rather rough to-night, Mr Grendall.’

‘Rough;—­what the devil do you mean by that?’

’And I think it will be as well that our account should be settled before we begin again.’

‘A settlement once a week is the kind of thing I’m used to,’ said Grendall.

There was nothing more said; but the young men did not part on good terms.  Felix, as he got himself taken home, calculated that if he could realize his spoil, he might begin the campaign again with horses, servants, and all luxuries as before.  If all were paid, he would have over L3,000!

CHAPTER VI — ROGER CARBURY AND PAUL MONTAGUE

Roger Carbury, of Carbury Hall, the owner of a small property in Suffolk, was the head of the Carbury family.  The Carburys had been in Suffolk a great many years,—­certainly from the time of the War of the Roses,—­and had always held up their heads.  But they had never held them very high.  It was not known that any had risen ever to the honour of knighthood before Sir Patrick, going higher than that, had been made a baronet.  They had, however, been true to their acres and their acres true to them through the perils of civil wars, Reformation, Commonwealth, and Revolution, and the head Carbury of the day had always owned, and had always lived at, Carbury Hall.  At the beginning of the present century the squire of Carbury had been a considerable man, if not in his county, at any rate in his part of the county.  The income of the estate had sufficed to enable him to live plenteously and hospitably, to drink port wine, to ride a stout hunter, and to keep an old lumbering coach for his wife’s use when she went avisiting.  He had an old butler who had never lived anywhere else, and a boy from the village who was in a way apprenticed