Presently Jack returned.
"Ladds is hard at work at écarté with a villainous-looking stranger. And I should think, from the way Tommy is sticking at it, that Tommy is dropping pretty heavily."
"It's an American he's playing with," said one of the other men in the room. "Don't know who brought him; not a member; a Major Hamilton Ruggles—don't know what service."
Mr. Beck looked up quietly, and reflected a moment. Then he said softly to Jack—
"Mr. Dunquerque, I think we can have a little amusement out of this. If you were to go now to Captain Ladds, and if you were to bring him up to this same identical room with Major Hamilton Ruggles, I think, sir,—I do think you would see something pleasant."
There was a sweet and winning smile on the face of Mr. Beck when he spoke these words. Jack immediately understood that there was going to be a row, and went at once on his errand, in order to promote it to the best of his power.
"You know Major Ruggles?" asked the first speaker.
"No, sir, no—I can hardly say that I know Major Ruggles. But I think he knows me."
In ten minutes Ladds and his adversary at écarté came upstairs. Ladds wore the heavy impenetrable look in which, as in a mask, he always played; the other, who had a limp in one leg and a heavy scar across his face, came with him. He was laughing in a high-pitched voice. After them came Jack.
At sight of Mr. Beck, Major Ruggles stopped suddenly.