"'When did you know—about him, I mean?'
"'Here is the second button. Balencourt slipped it into my hand just before we went out to dinner to-night.'
"'It is incredible. Balencourt is a man and you are but a boy. To take advantage of an act of youthful folly—'
"'You forget that it is his life or mine,' interrupted Estes, quietly.
"'But, George, it is unthinkable. When he knows—but you did tell him—about Betty—'
"'That's just it, old chap. Balencourt asked her to marry him a week ago, just before I received the first red button.'
"The monstrousness of the thing struck me all of a heap. 'The police,' I said, vaguely, but Estes shook his head.
"'It is but postponing the bad quarter of an hour,' he said, gently, 'and I don't think that I could put up with this sort of thing indefinitely. Moreover, it wouldn't be fair to—to Betty.
"'No,' he went on, 'it's better to have a limit set, just as it is now—for at least Balencourt will keep his word. Once past the 1st of August, I am safe.'
"'We'll work within the limit, then,' I said, cheerfully. 'If we three—Crawfurd, you, and I—can't match wits with one polyglot son of the "Dawn," we might as well let the bottom drop out of the Monroe Doctrine and be done with it.'