ndless grief--"that's the safety-valve
working. Good business. Take your time."

It took a long time; and Selwyn sat silent and motionless, his whole arm
numb from its position and Gerald's crushing grasp. And at last, seeing
that was the moment to speak:

"Now let's fix up this matter, Gerald. Come on!"

"Good heavens! h-how can it be f-fixed--"

"I'll tell you when you tell me. It's a money difficulty, I suppose;
isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Cards?"

"P-partly."

"Oh, a note? Case of honour? Where is this I.O.U. that you gave?"

"It's worse than that. The--the note is paid. Good God--I can't tell
you--"

"You must. That's why I'm here, Gerald."

"Well, then, I--I drew a check--knowing that I had no funds. If it--if
they return it, marked--"

"I see. . . . What are the figures?"

The boy stammered them out; Selwyn's grave face grew graver still.

"That is bad," he said slowly--"very bad. Have you--but of course you
couldn't have seen Austin--"

"I'd kill myself first!" said Gerald fiercely.

"No, you wouldn't do that. You're not _that_ kind. . . . Keep perfectly
cool, Gerald; because it is going to be fixed. The method only remains
to be decided upon--"

"I can't take your money!" stammered the boy; "I can't take a cent from
you--after what I've said--the beastly things I've said--"

"It isn't the things you say to me, Gerald, that matter. . . . Let me
think a bit--and don't worry. Just lie quietly, and understand that I'll
do the worrying. And while I'm amusing myself with a little quiet
reflection as to ways and means, just take your own bearings from this
reef; and set a true course once more, Gerald. That is all the reproach,
all the criticism you are going to get from me. Deal with yourself and
your God in silence."

And in silence and heavy dismay Selwyn confronted the sacrifice he must
make to save the honour of the house of Erroll.

It meant more than temporary inconvenience to himself; it meant that he
must go into the market and sell securities which were partly his
capital, and from which came the modest income that enabled him to live
as he did.

There was no other way, unless he went to Austin. But he dared not do
that--dared not think what Austin's action in the matter might be. And
he knew that if Gerald were ever driven into hopeless exile with
Austin's knowledge of his disgrace rankling, the boy's utter ruin must
result inevitably.

Yet--yet--how could he afford to do this--unocc