, penetrated to the outer office. Somewhat earlier than the
usual hour for closing, he appeared there with his hat on and his
overcoat buttoned about him. He said briefly to his boy, "William, I
shan't be back again this afternoon," and then went to Miss Dewey and
left a number of letters on her table to be copied, and went out.
Nothing had been said, but a sense of trouble subtly diffused itself
through those who saw him go out.

That evening as he sat down with his wife alone at tea, he asked,
"Ain't Pen coming to supper?"

"No, she ain't," said his wife. "I don't know as I like the way she's
going on, any too well. I'm afraid, if she keeps on, she'll be down
sick. She's got deeper feelings than Irene."

Lapham said nothing, but having helped himself to the abundance of his
table in his usual fashion, he sat and looked at his plate with an
indifference that did not escape the notice of his wife. "What's the
matter with YOU?" she asked.

"Nothing. I haven't got any appetite."

"What's the matter?" she persisted.

"Trouble's the matter; bad luck and lots of it's the matter," said
Lapham. "I haven't ever hid anything from you, Persis, well you asked
me, and it's too late to begin now. I'm in a fix. I'll tell you what
kind of a fix, if you think it'll do you any good; but I guess you'll
be satisfied to know that it's a fix."

"How much of a one?" she asked with a look of grave, steady courage in
her eyes.

"Well, I don't know as I can tell, just yet," said Lapham, avoiding
this look. "Things have been dull all the fall, but I thought they'd
brisk up come winter. They haven't. There have been a lot of
failures, and some of 'em owed me, and some of 'em had me on their
paper; and----" Lapham stopped.

"And what?" prompted his wife.

He hesitated before he added, "And then--Rogers."

"I'm to blame for that," said Mrs. Lapham. "I forced you to it."

"No; I was as willing to go into it as what you were," answered Lapham.
"I don't want to blame anybody."

Mrs. Lapham had a woman's passion for fixing responsibility; she could
not help saying, as soon as acquitted, "I warned you against him,
Silas. I told you not to let him get in any deeper with you."

"Oh yes. I had to help him to try to get my money back. I might as
well poured water into a sieve. And now--" Lapham stopped.

"Don't be afraid to speak out to me, Silas Lapham. If it comes to the
worst, I want to know it--I've got to know it.