"What's the time-limit?" I asked the Captain, wishing my singer could learn to put one to his sentences.
"So many moves must be made in an hour—usually fifteen. Otherwise the younger champion would always win, merely by outliving the elder. We forgot to include that condition."
At length our butler brought back word that "it couldn't last much longer." His face was grave and he gave the message in low tones.
"What a blessing. It's been lingering long enough! I wish they would polish it off," I murmured fretfully. After that I frequently caught him looking at me as if I were Lucrezia Borgia.
The end came suddenly. The butler went across to make the usual inquiry. He returned, with a foolish face of horror and whispered, "It is all over. It has been drawn by perpetual check!"
"Great Heavens!" I cried. My consternation was so manifest that he forgave the utterance of a peevish moment. I put on my nicest hat at once and went over. We held a council of war afresh.
"Let's go by who catches the biggest trout," suggested the Captain.
"No," I said. "I will not be angled for. Besides, the biggest is not grammatical. It should be the bigger."
Thus reproved, the Captain grew silent and we came to a deadlock once more. I gave up the hunt at last.
"I think the best plan will be for you both to go away and travel. Go round the world, see fresh faces, try to forget me. One of you will succeed."