“You’d have seen me before if I’d known where to find you; but Mrs. Armitage was out when I called this afternoon, and I was just going round again when I met your father, and here we are. We’ve been talking hard all the way from the bus, and I know all about everything so far. Roger’s keeping his heart up and so are you? Good!”
“Trying to, padre.”
“You’re going to, both of you, all the time, however long or short it is. It’s a black streak, child, but the help and guidance will come day by day till you’re through it and out into the sunshine again.”
“I’ve been telling the vicar about this money trouble, darling,” interposed Mr. Armitage, “and——”
“Just so; and we shall soon get over that. The house will go into committee on ways and means, so come along. What’s the state of the exchequer?”
“Roger has just over six hundred in the bank.”
“Splendid, and your father can find another six fifty.”
“Two hundred and fifty of that’s from himself, Grace,” said her father. “He insists.”
“Now, look here, Armitage, that’s sheer breach of confidence, and you ought to be ashamed of yourself! Let’s be thankful I have it to spare—which wouldn’t have been the case a year or two ago.”
Then Austin after a rapid mental calculation, chimed in: