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Rh for the amount. But, even then, in the hot flush of the moment, she hesitated. It was an old Corliss adage not to throw good money after bad but to pull off the hounds when the scent was lost or led to a lair too dangerous to be attacked. The question rose in her mind: "Business man or not, is Steele too much for Embry?"

Embry, quick to see her hesitation, did not press the point. He even turned the conversation away from it, speaking generally of the situation which had arisen, undertaking to make fresh investigations and acquaint her with what he learned. For it was Embry's way, having planted a seed, to stand back from it and give it sun, not to trample it to death.

But, from this conference and others, the impression got out that not only were Miss Corliss and Embry associated in their desire to combat the successes of Steele, but that Embry was Miss Corliss' agent, that he had stepped into Booth Stanton's shoes as local manager. This report, with every seeming of being correct, came in due time to Steele and brought one of his rare frowns.

"I've warned her against him," he muttered thoughtfully. "But of course she wouldn't believe me against him. The slimy, slick son of a gun. I won't have him seeing too much of her."

Beatrice's losses didn't trouble him; he told himself, as he had told her, that she was too rich anyway. Further, if loss to her now meant gain to him, why he was but holding what he took in trust for her later on! But to have Embry in her camp, not to know what