-by no weak words of hopeless consolation. Coming from
him to her, it demanded either a very substantial answer, or else
no answer at all. What was he to do about Sarah and the children?
Perhaps there came a thought across her mind that Sarah and the
children had done very little for her,--had considered her very
little, in those old, weary days, in Arundel Street. And those days
were not, as yet, so very old. It was now not much more than twelve
months since she had sat by the deathbed of her other brother,--since
she had expressed to herself, and to Harry Handcock, a humble wish
that she might find herself to be above absolute want.

"I do not think you need fret about that, Tom," she said, after
turning these things over in her mind for a minute or two.

"How, not fret about them? But I suppose you know nothing of the
state of the business. Has Rubb spoken to you?"

"He did say some word as we came along in the cab."

"What did he say?"

"He said--"

"Well, tell me what he said. He said, that if I died--what then? You
must not be afraid of speaking of it openly. Why, Margaret, they have
all told me that it must be in a month or two. What did Rubb say?"

"He said that there would be very little coming out of the
business--that is, for Sarah and the children--if anything were to
happen to you."

"I don't suppose they'd get anything. How it has been managed I don't
know. I have worked like a galley slave at it, but I haven't kept the
books, and I don't know how things have gone so badly. They have gone
badly,--very badly."

"Has it been Mr Rubb's fault?"

"I won't say that; and, indeed, if it has been any man's fault it has
been the old man's. I don't want to say a word against the one that
you know. Oh, Margaret!"

"Don't fret yourself now, Tom."

"If you had seven children, would not you fret yourself? And I hardly
know how to speak to you about it. I know that we have already had
ever so much of your money, over two thousand pounds; and I fear you
will never see it again."

"Never mind, Tom; it is yours, with all my heart. Only, Tom, as it is
so badly wanted, I would rather it was yours than Mr Rubb's. Could I
not do something that would make that share of the building yours?"

He shifted himself uneasily in his bed, and made her understand that
she had distressed him.

"But perhaps it will be better to say nothing more about that," said
she.

"It will be better that you should understand it all