Garrick, Dillon and I ran hastily through some scattered correspondence and other documents that spilled out from some letter files on the floor, but as far as I could make out there was nothing of any great importance that had been overlooked.

Dillon ordered the whole mass to be bundled up and taken off when the other paraphernalia was removed so that it could be gone through at our leisure, and the search continued.

From the “office” a staircase led down by a back way and we followed it, looking carefully to see where it led.

A low exclamation from Garrick arrested our attention.  In a curve between landings he had kicked something and had bent down to pick it up.  An electric pocket flashlight which one of the men had picked up disclosed under its rays a package of papers evidently dropped by someone who was carrying away in haste an armful of stuff.

“Markers with the house,” exclaimed Garrick as he ran over the contents of the package hurriedly.  “I.  O. U.’s for various amounts and all initialed—­for several hundred thousands.  Hello, here’s a bunch with an ‘F.’  That must mean Forbes—­thousands of dollars worth.”

The markers were fastened together with a slip in order to separate them from the others, evidently.

Garrick was hastily totalling them up and they seemed to amount to a tidy sum.

“How can he ever pay?” I asked, amazed as the sum crept on upward in the direction of six figures.

“Don’t you see that they’re cancelled?” interjected Garrick, still adding.

I had not examined them closely, but as I now bent over to do so I saw that each bore the words, “Paid by W.”

Warrington himself had settled the gambling debts of his friend!

In still greater amazement I continued to look and found that they all bore dates from several weeks before, down to within a few days.  The tale they told was eloquent.  Forbes, his own fortune gone, had gambled until rescued by his friend.  Even that had not been sufficient to curb his mania.  He had kept right on, hoping insanely to recoup.  And the gamblers had been willing to take a chance with him, knowing that they already had so much of his money that they could not possibly lose.

A horrid thought flashed over me.  What if he had really planned to pay his losses by marrying a girl with a fortune?  Forbes was the sort who would have gambled on even that slender prospect.

As we stood on the landing while Garrick went over the markers, I found myself wondering, even, where Forbes had been that night after he hurried away from us at the ladies’ poolroom and Warrington had taken the journey that had ended so disastrously for him.  The more I learned of what had been taking place, the more I saw that Warrington stood out as a gentleman.  Undoubtedly Violet Winslow had heard, had been informed by some kind unknown of the slight lapses of Warrington.  I felt sure that the gross delinquencies of Forbes were concealed from her and from her aunt, at least as far as Warrington had it in his power to shield the man who was his friend—­and rival.