to his old friend. He was struck dumb by the disgrace of his position, the more so as his misfortune was one which it was partly in the power of Lord Lufton to remedy. He had never yet borrowed money since he had filled a man's position, but he had had words about money with the young peer, in which he knew that his friend had wronged him, and for this double reason he was now speechless.
"Mr. Sowerby has betrayed him," said Mrs. Robarts, wiping the tears from her eyes. Hitherto she had said no word against Sowerby, but now it was necessary to defend her husband.
"No doubt about it. I believe he has always betrayed every one who has ever trusted in him. I told you what he was some time since, did I not? But, Mark, why on earth have you let it go so far as this? Would not Forrest help you?"
"Mr. Forrest wanted him to sign more bills, and he would not do that," said Mrs. Robarts, sobbing.
"Bills are like dram-drinking," said the discreet young lord: "when one once begins, it is very hard to leave off. Is it true that the men are here now, Mark?"
"Yes, they are in the next room."
"What, in the drawing-room?"
"They are making out a list of the things," said Mrs. Robarts.
"We must stop that, at any rate," said his lordship, walking off toward the scene of the operations; and, as he left the room, Mrs. Robarts followed him, leaving her husband by himself.
"Why did you not send down to my mother?" said he, speaking hardly above a whisper, as they stood together in the hall.
"He would not let me."
"But why not go yourself? or why not have written to me, considering how intimate we are?"
Mrs. Robarts could not explain to him that the peculiar intimacy between him and Lucy must have hindered her from doing so, even if otherwise it might have been possible; but she felt such was the case.
"Well, my men, this is bad work you're doing here," said he, walking into the drawing-room. Whereupon the cook courtesied low, and the bailiffs, knowing his lordship, stopped from their business and put their hands to their
