e had
already stifled her womanly indignation over her son's fall, and even
comforted herself by the cheap reflection that George had never been
half so fast as dozens of other young men who were received into the
best society. She had worshipped at the shrine of wealth and social
position so long that all her views of life were centred upon a solitary
goal, and consequently ran in a narrow and distorted groove.

'If the girl can be prevented going down to Bourhill, all may be well.
Do you think she is one likely to hold her tongue?'

'I don't know anything about her. She'll speak, just as other women
speak, when it comes up her own back, I suppose. The chances are, if
Gladys and she have met, she's told the whole story already.'

'Oh no, she hasn't, because Gladys knew your aunt was coming here this
afternoon, and sent a message that you might come over after dinner. She
wouldn't have done that if she'd known that pretty story. You'd better
go away to the Crescent at once.'

'I'm not very fond of the job,' said George, fortifying himself with a
glass of whisky and water. 'I've a good mind to throw the whole bally
thing up, and go off to the Antipodes. Marrying is an awful bore,
anyhow; women are such a confounded nuisance.'

His mother listened to these lofty sentiments in silence, though she
inwardly felt that it would relieve her feelings considerably to
administer a sound box in the ear.

'I'm trying to help you, George, against my better judgment, but you
don't appear to be very grateful,' she said severely. 'I've a good mind
to let you bear the brunt of your folly, as you deserve; and you know
very well that if your father knew about it, his anger would be
terrific. I'm afraid you'd have to take to the Antipodes then, because
the door would be shut upon you here. I would advise you to do what you
can to redeem yourself, and your utmost to keep Gladys. Tell me
something about the girl. Do you think she would accept a sum of money
to leave Glasgow and hold her tongue?'

'No,' he answered, 'I don't.'

'Why, she must be very different from other girls of her class.'

'I don't know what are the characteristics of her class, but I know
jolly well that if you offer money to her, she'll astonish you.'

Mrs. Fordyce looked with yet keener disfavour into her son's face.

'If she's that kind of girl, you must have promised her marriage.'

'Well, I daresay I did, but she might have known it was only talk,' he
sa