To Him That Hath | Page 5

were not I wouldn't mind taking him on myself," he added with another laugh.
"Now, do you mean?" said Captain Jack lazily.
"We will wait till the match is played out," said Stillwell with easy confidence. "Some other day, when you are in shape, eh?" he added, smiling at Maitland.
"Now if you like, or after the match, or any old time," said Captain Jack, looking at Stillwell with hard grey, unsmiling eyes. "I understand you have come up on your game during the war."
Stillwell's face burned a furious red at the little laugh that went round among Captain Jack's friends.
"Frankly, I have had enough for to-day," said the Englishman to Jack.
"All right, old chap, if you don't really mind. Though I feel you would certainly take the odd set."
"Not a bit of it, by Jove. I am quite satisfied to let it go at that. We will have another go some time."
"Any time that suits you--to-morrow, eh?"
"To-morrow be it," said the Englishman.
"Now, then, Stillwell," said Captain Jack, with a curt nod at him. "Whenever you are ready."
"Oh, come, Maitland. I was only joshing, you know. You don't want to play with me to-day," said Stillwell, not relishing the look on Maitland's face. "We can have a set any time."
"No!" said Maitland shortly. "It's now or never."
"Oh, all right," said Stillwell, with an uneasy laugh, going into the Club house for his racquet.
The proposed match had brought a new atmosphere into the Club house, an atmosphere of contest with all the fun left out.
"I don't like this at all," said a man with iron grey hair and deeply tanned face.
"One can't well object, Russell," said a younger man, evidently a friend of Stillwell's. "Maitland brought it on, and I hope he gets mighty well trimmed. He is altogether too high and mighty these days."
"Oh, I don't agree with you at all," broke in Frances, in a voice coldly proper. "You heard what Mr. Stillwell said?"
"Well, not exactly."
"Ah, I might have guessed you had not," answered the young lady, turning away.
Edwards looked foolishly round upon the circle of men who stood grinning at him.
"Now will you be good?" said a youngster who had led the laugh at Edwards' expense.
"What the devil are you laughing at, Menzies?" he asked hotly.
"Why, don't you see the joke?" enquired Menzies innocently. "Well, carry on! You will to-morrow."
Edwards growled out an oath and took himself off.
Meantime the match was making furious progress, with the fury, it must be confessed, confined to one side only of the net. Captain Jack was playing a driving, ruthless game, snatching and employing without mercy every advantage that he could legitimately claim. He delivered his service with deadly precision, following up at the net with a smashing return, which left his opponent helpless. His aggressive tactics gave his opponent almost no opportunity to score, and he kept the pace going at the height of his speed. The onlookers were divided in their sentiments. Stillwell had a strong following of his own who expressed their feelings by their silence at Jack's brilliant strokes and their loud approval of Stillwell's good work when he gave them opportunity, while many of Maitland's friends deprecated his tactics and more especially his spirit.
At whirlwind pace Captain Jack made the first three games a "love" score, leaving his opponent dazed, bewildered with his smashing play and blind with rage at his contemptuous bearing.
"I think I must go home, Frances," said Adrien to her friend, her face pale, her head carried high.
Frances seized her by the arm and drew her to one side.
"Adrien, you must not go! You simply must not!" she said in a low tense voice. "It will be misunderstood, and--"
"I am going, Frances," said her friend in a cold, clear voice. "I have had enough tennis for this afternoon. Where is Sidney? Ah, there he is across the court. No! Let me go, Frances!"
"You simply must not go like that in the middle of a game, Adrien. Wait at least till this game is over," said her friend, clutching hard at her arm.
"Very well. Let us go to Sidney," said Adrien.
Together they made their way round the court almost wholly unobserved, so intent was the crowd upon the struggle going on before them. As the game finished Adrien laid her hand upon her cousin's arm.
"Haven't you had enough of this?" she said. Her voice carried clear across the court.
"What d'ye say? By Jove, no!" said her cousin in a joyous voice. "This is the most cheering thing I've seen for many moons, Adrien. Eh, what? Oh, I beg pardon, are you seedy?" he added glancing at her. "Oh, certainly, I'll come at once."
"Not at all. Don't think of it. I have a call to make on my way home. Please don't come."
"But, Adrien, I say, this will be