! 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," sa