He led her into the coffee-room, which was empty.
“You have bad news, Stephen, I am sure! What is it? Where is Harry?”
“He told me to break it to you. He has quite given way under it. You will try not to be very much shocked, won’t you? It is about George. He——”
“Not dead?” whispered she, white to the lips.
“Oh, no; he is quite well! But he has smashed up.”
“Poor fellow!” said she sympathizingly, but much relieved. “Is he really quite ruined?”
“Yes, I am afraid so; he has been in difficulties for a long time now, you know. The Grange will have to be sold, of course; but it and the land are so heavily mortgaged that that won’t relieve him much. He has expected the crash for a long time, and Wilfred and I had some notion of it too; but Harry never dreamed of such a thing, and it has knocked him over altogether.”
“But why does he take it so much to heart? He will be better off than anybody now I’ve got such a good engagement.”
“It seems he wanted to persuade you to give up acting and go and live with him at the Grange; he told William and me so just now.”
“William!”