Faro's Daughter Read Online Free PDF

not played with me yet,’ he pointed out.
    ‘That is something that can be mended!’ she retorted.
    He lifted an eyebrow at her. ‘Are you sure you dare, Miss Grantham?’
    She gave a scornful laugh. ‘Dare! I? I will meet you when you choose, Mr Ravenscar, the stakes to be fixed by yourself!’
    ‘Then let it be tonight,’ he said promptly.
    ‘Let it be at once!’ she said, rising from her chair. He too rose, and offered his arm. His countenance was perfectly grave, but she had the impression that he was secretly laughing at her.
    On the staircase they met Lord Mablethorpe, on his way down to supper. His face fell when he saw Miss Grantham. He exclaimed: ‘You have not finished supper already! I made sure of finding you in the dining-room! Oh, do come back, Deb! Come and drink a glass of wine with me!’
    ‘You are too late,’ said Ravenscar. ‘Miss Grantham is promised to me for the next hour.’
    ‘For the next hour! Oh, come now, Max, that’s too bad! You are quizzing me!’
    ‘Nothing of the sort: we are going to play a rubber or two of piquet.’
    Adrian laughed. ‘Oh, poor Deb! Don’t play with him: he’ll fleece you shamefully!’
    ‘If he does, I have a strong notion that it will rather be shamelessly!’ Miss Grantham smiled.
    ‘Indeed it will! There is not an ounce of chivalry in my cousin. I wish you will have nothing to do with him! Besides, it is so dull to be playing piquet all night! What is to become of me?’
    ‘Why, if E.O. holds no charms for you, you may come presently and see how I am faring at your cousin’s hands.’
    ‘I shall come to rescue you,’ he promised.
    She laughed, and passed on up the stairs to the gaming saloons. In the larger room, one or two small tables were set out; Miss Grantham led the way to one of these, and called to a waiter for cards. She looked speculatively at Ravenscar, as he seated himself opposite to her; his eyes met hers, and some gleam of mockery in them convinced her that he had been laughing at her. ‘You are the strangest man!’ she said, in her frank way. ‘Why did you talk so to me?’
    ‘To whet your curiosity,’ he responded, with equal frankness.
    ‘Good God, to what end, pray?’
    ‘To make you play cards with me. You have so many noble admirers, ma’am, who pay you such assiduous court, that I could not suppose that a conciliating address would answer my purpose.’
    ‘So you were rude to me, and rough! Upon my word, I do not know what you deserve, Mr Ravenscar!’
    He turned to pick up the piquet-packs the waiter was offering him on a tray, and laid some card-money down in their place. ‘To be plucked, undoubtedly. What stakes do you like to play for, Miss Grantham?’
    ‘You will recall, sir, that the decision was to rest with you.’
    ‘Well,’ he said, ‘let us make it ten shillings a point, since this is a mere friendly bout.’
    Her eyes widened a little, for this was playing deep, but she said coolly: ‘What you will, sir. If you are satisfied, it is not for me to cavil.’
    ‘What humility, Miss Grantham?’ he said, shuffling one of the packs. ‘If you should find it insipid, we can always double the stakes.’
    Miss Grantham agreed to it, and in a moment of bravado suggested that they should play for twenty-five pounds the rubber, in addition. On these terms they settled down to the game, the lady with her nerves on the stretch, the gentleman abominably casual.
    It was soon seen that Mr Ravenscar was a much more experienced player than his opponent; his calculation of the odds was very nice; he played his cards well; and had a disconcerting trick of summing up Miss Grantham’s hands with sufficient accuracy to make him a very formidable adversary. She went down on the first rubber, but not heavily, taking him to three games. He agreed that the balance of the luck had been with him.
    ‘I’m emboldened to think you don’t find my play contemptible, at all events,’ Miss Grantham said.
    ‘Oh, by no means!’