was not a failure, but
further persuasion was required to make his success complete; and during
the brief interval he was persecuted by Gordon's brother.

Mr. William Gordon, when amiable and flattering, had an air of rough and
hearty friendliness which was very well as long as you held him in check.
But when, though still amiable, he thought he might begin to take
liberties, it was not so well. He was hard, coarse-tongued and humorous.
And when Mr. William Gordon had the upper hand he showed himself in his
true colors, as a bully and a blackguard. Bertie Lisle, not yet
two-and-twenty, was no match for this man of thirty-five. He owed him
money--no great sum, but more than he could pay. Now that matters had come
to this pass, Lisle was heartily ashamed of himself, his debts and his
associates; but the more shame he felt the more anxious he was that
nothing should be known. He had sought the society of these men because he
had wearied of the restraints of his home-life. Judith checked and
controlled him unconsciously through her very guilelessness. He might have
had his liberty in a moment had he chosen, but the assertion of his right
would have involved explanations and questions, and Bertie hated scenes.
He found it easier to coax Lydia than to face Judith.

But this state of affairs could not go on. Bertie had once fancied that he
saw a possible way out of his difficulties, and had hinted to Gordon, with
an air of mystery, that though he could not pay at once he thought he
might soon be in a position to pay all. If he hoped to silence his
creditors for a while with this vague promise, he was mistaken. Gordon
continually reminded him of it. He had not cared to inquire into the
source of the coming wealth, but if Lisle meant to rob somebody's till or
forge Mr. Clifton's name to a cheque, no doubt Gordon thought he might as
well do it and get it over. If you are going to take a plunge, what, in
the name of common sense, is the good of standing shivering on the brink?

Unluckily, Lisle's idea presented difficulties on closer inspection. But
as he had gone so far that it was his only hope, he made up his mind to
risk all. He saw but one possible way of carrying out his scheme. It was
exactly the way which no cautious man would ever have dreamed of taking,
and therefore it suited the daring inexperience of the boy. Therefore,
also, it was precisely what no one would dream of guarding against. In
fact, Bertie was driven by