Double Harness

udoir. She held a screen between the flames and her face, and turned her eyes on Anna Selford, who was paying her a call. Anna was a plump dark girl, by no means pretty, but w

from the woman, and hushed up all the row about the money-oh, he had taken some from the office: he was in a solicitor's office, you know-and arranged for him to be sent out to Buenos Ayres-did the whol

A little boy! And now!" Christine pluck

n was thirty, and not ve

eventeen, are you? And Suzette Bligh's twen

ing about them. When I'm washing the dogs, they forget I'm there,

think

mebody, you see. When I was little she used to tell me th

amusement, as though she had given much study to her mot

ore! So they're

they hope he'll come back some d

isn't there, Anna?" She shivered and drew yet a litt

nothing ever h

e much wors

ndure it for a long while. You see, I'm not very likely to get married, Mrs. Fan

t. That's it! You should go in for smartness, not prettiness. I really believe it pays better nowa

y kind of you,

irls ought to have their chances. But in thos

w. I'll ask

and came over to Christin

ut annoyed; she was very ready to help Anna, but

in, and there ens

her, I think. Oh, I should have hated to be an old maid; but still one would have avoided

ess, to let the warmth get to her ankles. Ann

s like you,

ment; she only denied the value of

na! I believe in you, you know. I can do something with you. Only--" She stopped, frowning a little and looking vaguely unhappy. "Well," she resumed, "if it

as turned in the d

th about Mrs. Ima

smiled Christine. "And if you don't

-she had an

at Milldean made a mistake-took too serious a view, you know. And-and there was a lot of bother. But the Lo

ded all ri

ooked a lit

, and Sibylla's quit

aid Mrs. Ray

peration she wanted to have, and that they meant to-- Well, really, Anna, I can't go into details. It's quite medical, my dear, and

over now, since everything

fact. "But very often fusses about nothing do just as much har

at, living in our house,

o!" Christine complained, with a

t the atmosphere of her home, against the half-real gush and the spasmodic emotionality of the family circle. In this revolt truth asserted itself, but sweetness suffered, and fresh

ow." She answered Anna's questioning eyes by going on: "Oh, it's terrible, my dear. We've no money-now, really, don't

really won't talk abo

Then everybody'll know. And I daresay we shall have some mon

hy don'

ike-well, it's like what we women ought to think (again Christine avoided asserting the actual fact) about our reputations, you know. So you may imagine the stat

e nestled to t

Mrs. Fanshaw! It'll all

ose I have. Well, I thought it was just that John was stingy. He had a splendid business, you

ure; that was all. Christine was afraid there was more now. Her husband was worried as he had never been before; he had dropped hints of speculations gone wrong and of heavy commitments; and Christine, a constant glancer at City articles and an occasional dabbler in stocks, had read that there was a crisis in the market in which he mainly dealt. Things were black; she knew it almost as well as he. Both showed courage, and the seriousness of the matter forbade mere bickering. Nor was either invulnerable enough to open the

aid, and Christine was glad he should say it, although she hated being call

after it had come. And in her heart-here too she had said no more than truth-she did doubt whether John would stay in the world to see. Well, what could she do? She had three hundred a year of her own tied up, and (since they had no children) to go back to her people on her death. If the ruin came, she could find crusts for herself and John-if John were there. These were the thoughts which had kept intruding into her mind as she talked to Anna Selford and shivered now and then over the blazing fire. Yet she could face them better than John, thanks to a touch of fatalism in her nature. She would think of no violent step to avoid what she feared. Hating it, she would sit shivering by the fire, and wait for it all the same. She knew this of herself, and therefore was even m

n Fanshaw came to his wif

ive," he said; "I gave four hundred for them si

uch difference, do

ly stirring his tea.

fire watching him; her scr

"Everything's gone against me again this week. I had a

great gu

colour came on C

it mean?"

behaved uncommonly well. The bank can't do an

ask him for

y? I don't see anything awful in that. I daren't go to

wrong in it. I don't know

On steady lines (I wish to God I'd kept on them!) it's worth from eight to ten thousand a year. I'll pay you back three thousand a year, and five per cent. on all capital still owing.' I think

e thing." She looked at him before she p

he was in the bog, how reckless he had been. He finished his tea, a

s not enough?"

o turn, and I must raise thirty thousand in a fortnight-by nex

p absolutely

thirty thousand we should want, but-oh, I don't know! Perhaps a hundred!

ot into the bog, but she supposed that the speculative temper, which acknowledges only bad luck and never bad judgment, saved him from that.

re me! I never though of its coming to this." After a long pause he added: "I want another fifteen thousand

uld help you, J

ady." Again he hesitated. "U

er nerves under control. When he spoke aga

u ever see Ca

ost imperceptible,

sometimes. He's at the Raymores' now a

omes here n

hout apparent embarrassment, but her eyes were very shar

ld times with Caylesham!" He rose now and stood with his back to t

r inquiringly.

a friend go to the wall. What do you think?

John? Oh, I sh

He's got

f him now; and it's

rily. "You don't realise what the devil of a mess we're in. We've no choice, I tell you, but to get it

r face now, so that he s

hat you can do for me. You said you wanted to help

do that

? Why ca

ing him, and I simply c

id nothing against my asking Grantley,

to that ready. The

t. Don't press me to do that. If you must a

's more likely t

d a woman because it's harder to ref

we're situated? It's ruin if we don't get it

stand on scruples or be baulked by questions of taste or of social propriety. He saw possible salvation, and jump

couldn't go afterwards. But you

sed her head

t go,"

ut it! Why can't you go? Is it anyt

othing like that;

don't understand why you h

ared hide her face no longer. She had to look at him calmly and stead

like!" he exclaimed in rising passion. "You shall go! No, no! I don't mean that-I don't want to

uch of tenderness vanished; but it had moved he

e urged impatiently: "a special reason agai

against asking Lord Cayles

you'

silent a moment. Then she

I'll

creen up nearly to her eyes again, and seemed so unconscious of his purpose that he abandoned it. His spirits rose in

ney's safe enough, of course! But-well, you'll make him see that better than I coul

t in an involuntary smile of most mocking bitterness. Conscience had not been at her without a purp