He looked at her a moment in amazed silence; then he laughed roughly.
"Money?" he retorted. "I am all but turned out of the club to-day for want of it. This is probably my last game."
"You are not in earnest?" she demanded, pressing closer to him, and putting her hand on his arm. "You are not really going to leave the club?"
"What else can I do? The committee think it isn't possible to let things go any longer."
She looked into his face, her own hardening. She studied him with a keen glance, which he met firmly, yet with evident effort.
"Jack," she said at length, her voice lower, "there is only one way out of it. Last night you wouldn't listen to me; but you must now. You must marry May Calthorpe. If you were engaged to her it would be easy enough to raise money."
"You talk as if she were only waiting for me to say the word, and she'd rush into my arms."
"She will, she must, if you'll have her. You wouldn't take her for your own good, but you've got to do it for mine. You can't let me be ruined just through your obstinacy."
"Ruined? What under the canopy do you mean, mother? You are trying to scare me to make me go your way."
"I'm not, Jack; upon my word I'm not! I tell you I'm in an awful mess, and you must stand by me."