He reassured her. Both her mother and father were well. It was too long a trip for them to make, so he had volunteered.
“Too long a trip,” echoed Shirley puzzled. “This is not far from our house. Madison Avenue is no distance. That could not have kept father away.”
“You don't live on Madison Avenue any longer. The house and its contents have been sold,” replied Stott gravely, and in a few words he outlined the situation as it was.
Shirley listened quietly to the end and only the increasing pallor of her face and an occasional nervous twitching at the corner of her mouth betrayed the shock that this recital of her father's misfortunes was to her. Ah, this she had little dreamed of! Yet why not? It was but logic. When wrecked in reputation, one might as well be wrecked in fortune, too. What would their future be, how could that proud, sensitive man her father bear this humiliation, this disgrace? To be condemned to a life of obscurity, social ostracism, and genteel poverty! Oh, the thought was unendurable! She herself could earn money, of course. If her literary work did not bring in enough, she could teach and what she earned would help out. Certainly her parents should never want for anything so long as she could supply it. She thought bitterly how futile now were plans of marriage, even if she had ever entertained such an idea seriously. Henceforward, she did not belong to herself. Her life must be devoted to clearing her father's name. These reflections were suddenly interrupted by the voice of Mrs. Blake calling out:
“Shirley, where have you been? We lost sight of you as we left the ship, and we have been hunting for you ever since.”
Her aunt, escorted by Jefferson Ryder, had gone direct to the Customs desk and in the crush they had lost trace of her. Shirley introduced Stott.
“Aunt Milly, this is Judge Stott, a very old friend of father's. Mrs. Blake, my mother's sister. Mother will be surprised to see her. They haven't met for ten years.”
“This visit is going to be only a brief one,” said Mrs. Blake. “I really came over to chaperone Shirley more than anything else.”
“As if I needed chaperoning with Mr. Ryder for an escort!” retorted Shirley. Then presenting Jefferson to Stott she said:
“This is Mr. Jefferson Ryder—Judge Stott. Mr. Ryder has been very kind to me abroad.”