"Then you have done something wrong," said Effie, loosening her hold of
her brother's arm and backing to a little distance. He could scarcely
see her face in the ever increasing darkness, but he noticed the change
in her voice. There was an indignant note of pained and astonished youth
in it. Effie had never come face to face with the graver sins of life;
the word "prison" stunned her, she forgot pity for a moment in
indignation.
"George," she said, with a sort of gasp, "father left mother to you,--in
a sort of way he gave her up to you,--and you have done wrong; you have
sinned."
"You talk just like a girl," said George; "you jump at conclusions. You,
an innocent girl living in the shelter of home, know as little about the
temptations which we young fellows have to meet out in the world, as
you know of the heavens above you. My God! Effie, it is a hard world--it
is hard, _hard_ to keep straight in it. Yes, I have done wrong--I know
it--and father gave mother to me. If you turn away from me, Effie, I
shall go to the bad--I shall go to the worst of all; there will not be a
chance for me if you turn from me."
The tone of despair in his voice changed Effie's frame of mind in a
moment. She ran up to him and put her arms round his neck.
"I won't turn from you, poor George," she said. "It did shock me for a
moment--it frightened me rather more than I can express; but perhaps I
did not hear you aright, perhaps you did not say the word 'prison.' You
don't mean to say that unless you get that impossible sum of money you
will have to go to prison, George?"
"Before God, it is true," said George. "I cannot, I won't tell you why,
but it is as true as I stand here."
"Then you will kill our mother," said Effie.
"I know that."
"And father left her to you. George, it cannot be. I must think of
something--my head is giddy--we have not any money to spare. It will be
the hardest fight in the world to keep the children from starvation on
that hundred pounds a year, but something must be done. I'll go and
speak to the trustees."
"Who are the trustees?" asked George. He rose again to his feet. There
was a dull sort of patience in his words.
"Mr. Watson is one,--you know the Watsons, father has always been so
good to them,--and our clergyman, Mr. Jellet, is the other. Yes, I must
go and speak to them; but what am I to say?"
"You must not betray me," said George. "If you mention that I want the
money, all will be up with me. In any case, there may be suspicion. Men
of the world like Mr. Watson and Mr. Jellet would immediately guess
there was something wrong if a lad required such a large sum of money.
You must not tell them that _I_ want it."
"How can I help it? Oh, everything is swimming round before my eyes; I
feel as if my head would burst."
"Think of me," said George--"think of the load I have got to bear."
Effie glanced up at him. His attitude and his words puzzled and almost
revolted her. After a time she said coldly:
"What hour are you leaving in the morning?"
"I want to catch the six-o'clock train to town. This is good-by, Effie;
I shan't see you before I go. Remember, there are six weeks before
anything can happen. If anyone can save me, you can. It is worth a
sacrifice to keep our mother from dying."
"Yes, it would kill her," said Effie. "Good-night now, George. I cannot
think nor counsel you at present; I feel too stunned. The blow you have
given me has come so unexpectedly, and it--it is so awful. But I'll get
up to see you off in the morning. Some thought may occur to me during
the night."
"Very well," said George. He walked slowly down the garden, and,
entering the house, went up to his own room. Effie did not go in for a
long time. She was alone now, all alone with the stars. She was standing
in the middle of the path. Often and often her father's steps had
trodden this path. He used to pace here when he was troubled about a
sick patient, when his anxiety about her mother arose to a feverish
pitch. Now his daughter stood on the same spot, while a whirl of
troubled thoughts passed through her brain. It had been her one
comfort, since that awful moment when Dorothy had told her that her
father was gone, to feel that George, in a measure at least, took that
father's place.
George had always been her favorite brother; they were very nearly the
same age--Effie was only two years younger than George; long ago George
had been good to the little sister--they had never quarreled, they had
grown up always the best and warmest of friends. Their love had been
true--as true as anything in all the world.
George had gone to London, and the first tiny spark of discontent had
visited Effie's heart. She would be so lonely without her brother. It
was so fine for him to go out into life, her own horizon seemed so
narrow. Then Dorothy came, and they had made friends, and Dorothy told
her what some women did with their lives.
Effie had been fired with a sudden desire to follow in Dorothy's steps;
then had followed the dark cloud which seemed to swallow up her wishes,
and all that was best out of her life. George, at least, remained. Dear,
brave, manly George! The brother who had passed out of childhood, and
entered man's estate.
Her father's last message had been to George--he had given her precious
mother into George's care.
It seemed to Effie to-night, standing out under the stars, as if George,
too, were dead. The old George was really dead, and a stranger had taken
his place. This stranger wore the outward guise of her brother--he had
his eyes, his figure; his voice had the same tone, he could look at you
just in George's way, but he could utter terrible words which George had
never known anything about. He could talk of _sin_ and _prison_. He
could propose that Effie should rescue him at the risk of her mother's
livelihood. Oh, what did it mean? How was she to bear it?--how could she
bear it? She clasped her hands, tears filled her eyes, but she was too
oppressed, too pained, too stunned to weep long. Presently she went into
the house, and lay down on her bed without undressing.
During the whole of that terrible night Effie scarcely slept. It was the
worst night in all her life. Toward morning she dozed a little, but
sprang up with a start, fearing that George had gone to London without
seeing her. For her mother's sake she must see him. Whatever happened,
her mother must never know of this calamity. Effie got up, washed her
hands and face, smoothed out her hair, and went downstairs. George was
already up, he was standing in the little parlor. He turned round when
he heard his sister's footsteps, and looked anxiously at her.
"What a brute I am!" he said, when he saw the expression on her face;
"but I swear before God, Effie, if you will help me, I'll turn over a
new leaf; I'll never do a wrong thing again as long as I live--I swear
it."
"Don't swear it," said Effie; "it seems to make it worse to do that. If
you did wrong once, you may again. Don't swear. Ask God to help you. I
don't know that I have been praying all night, but I have been trying
to."
"Well, Effie, what have you determined to do?" he asked.
"Is there no one else who can help you, George?"
"Not a soul; I have only one friend, and that is Fred Lawson."
"Oh, yes! I remember you spoke of him last night. Would he help you?"
"He help me!" said George, with a hysterical laugh. "Why, he is the chap
I have wronged. There, don't ask me any more. If you can help me, I am
saved; if you can't, say so, and I'll go straight to destruction."
"No, you shan't do that, George. I have thought of something--nothing
may come of it, but I'm going to try. It is terribly repugnant to me,
but I would sacrifice much to save my mother. If it fails, all fails."
"I have thought," said George eagerly, "that, as the case is such an
extreme one, we might take some of the capital. There is a thousand
pounds; a quarter of that sum would put me right."
"It cannot be done for a moment," said Effie, her face flushing hotly.
"That money must under no circumstances be touched; my mother and the
children depend on it for their bread."
"I don't know what is to be done, then," said George in a hopeless
voice.
"You must trust to me, George; I am going to try to help you in my own
way. If I fail, I fail; but somehow I don't think I shall. If I have any
news I will write to you soon; and now good-by, good-by."
George turned and kissed Effie; she gave him her cheek, but her lips did
not touch his. She was willing to help him, but her love for the time
was dead or dying.
The young man walked hurriedly down the village street. Effie stood in
the porch and watched him; his shoulders were bowed, he stooped. George
used to have a fine figure; Effie used to be proud of him--she was not
proud of her brother now.
She went back to the house, and sat down listlessly for a time in the
little parlor--her hands were folded in her lap. It seemed to her as if
the end of all things had come.
Presently the sound of the children's voices overhead aroused her; she
went upstairs, and helped Susan to dress them. Returning to the everyday
duties of life had a soothing effect upon her. She made a violent effort
and managed to put her trouble behind her for the time being. Whatever
happened, her mother must not see any traces of it.
When the baby was dressed, she took him as usual to her mother's room.
Mrs. Staunton sat up in bed and stretched out her arms to receive him.
Effie gave him to her mother, who began to kiss his little face
hungrily.
"Has George gone, Effie?" said the mother.
"Yes, mother, dear."
"Did anyone see him off--did he have his breakfast?"
"Yes, he had a good breakfast; I got it ready for him last night."
"But did anyone see him off?"
"I did."
"That's right; I should not have liked him to have had his last meal by
himself. I miss him awfully. Effie, dear, how soon do you think we can
go to London?"
"As soon as possible, mother--in about six weeks."
"Six weeks!" exclaimed Mrs. Staunton. "I can't live without George for
six weeks."
"Oh, yes, you can, mother--at least you'll try."