"now send mr. lamont to me here without delay," she said to antoinette.

the girl did not have to do much searching. mr. lamont was in the corridor. he hastened to answer the summons with alacrity.

"there is the money," cried sally, almost swooning from excitement. "thirty thousand dollars, and——"

"by george! you are a trump, my dear!" exclaimed victor lamont, restraining himself by the greatest effort from uttering a wild whoop of delight. "that was splendidly done!"

sally looked the disgust that swept over her.

"i have it all to pay back within three months," she said. "you have forgotten that, it seems, mr. lamont, and by that time i shall expect you to have procured the money to reimburse these gentlemen."

victor lamont laughed a sarcastic laugh.

"i shall not detain you longer, my dear mrs. gardiner," he said. "your husband will be waiting to take you to the train. i shall not say good-bye, but au revoir. i will write you, sending my letters addressed to your maid, antoinette. she will give them to you."

"no, no!" answered sally, nervously; "you must never write to me, only send me the money to repay today's indebtedness. our friendship, which we drifted into unconsciously, was a terrible mistake. it has ended in disaster, and it must stop here and now."

"as the queen wills," murmured lamont, raising to his lips the little white hand that had given him so much money.

but deep down in his heart he had no intention of letting slip through his fingers a woman who had turned into a veritable gold mine under his subtle tuition. ah, no! that was only the beginning of the vast sums she must raise for him in the future.