Читать книгу Under the Tiger's Claws; Or, A Struggle for the Right онлайн

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“A fortune, eh?” grinned Godard, not in the least disturbed.

“No, not a fortune,” snapped Kendall.

The dealer glanced across the table at him, still shuffling the cards for the next deal, but he said nothing.

Godard, however, could not resist voicing the thought that arose in his mind.

“Well, if you’re playing for something more dear than either life or fortune, Kendall, you’re taking infernally long chances,” said he pointedly. “Honor is something not wisely staked upon a faro layout, and if——”

In an instant Kendall was upon his feet, ghastly with passion.

“Who spoke of honor?” he cried furiously. “Do you dare imply that I——”

Clang!

The bell on the hall door had rung sharply.

It rang an immediate knell to the brief disturbance.

It brought a moment of absolute silence, in which every eye was turned swiftly toward the door.

Humpty Green, the malformation, leaped up from his chair and ran to the peek. One glance was sufficient. He closed the slide, then threw both hands above his head with a grotesque gesture of warning.