"You must be greatly amazed," he said, "at my presuming to bother you about your family affairs." "Oh, no!" she replied. "I think you are kind, but your words have made me very anxious." "Then," said Lawson, "you see for yourself that things are not all right." "I have known that for some time." "George is a great friend of mine," continued Lawson. "We saw a good deal of each other when he first came to town--he was a right jolly sort of fellow then; it was only about six months ago that, all of a sudden, he seemed to change. I suppose he took up with some bad companions, but I really can't say for certain." "But what about him now?" said Effie, in a voice almost irritable with anxiety. "Have you anything fresh to tell me?" "You heard him, probably, say to your mother that he had a rise of salary?" "Yes." "The fact is," continued Lawson, "I know that not to be true." Effie also in her heart of hearts knew it not to be true, but she could not bear to hear a stranger abuse her brother. "How can you be sure?" she said, somewhat inconsistently. "How can I be sure?" he retorted. "This is not a matter of sentiment, I happen to know. George is working with a relative, it is true, but Mr. Gering is one of the hardest men in the City. Everyone who understands him knows the system on which he works, and a relative has no more chance with him than another. George will have to take his rise step by step at something like the rate of ten pounds a year. Perhaps he has told your mother that he has had quite a large rise." "He said a hundred a year; he said he was now receiving two hundred a year." "What is to be done?" said Lawson, "Something ought to be done to stop it. Your mother will certainly live beyond her means, and then you will all get into no end of a mess. Do forgive me for taking an interest; the fact is, George was a great friend of mine once." "Oh, please don't give him up!" said Effie. "If good men turn against him, what chance has he, poor fellow?" "I won't, if you wish me to look after him," said Lawson, giving her a quick glance. At this moment two nurses from St. Joseph's Hospital, who were crossing the street, saw Effie. They noticed her earnest face, the sparkle in her eyes; they also observed the glance which the handsome young medical student gave her. The women nudged one another, smiled, and went on. Effie never saw them. "Let us walk a little faster," said Lawson, who was not so unobservant. He felt vexed that the women should see him with Effie, but now that he was with her he must at least unburden his mind. "George told me," said Effie,--"perhaps it is not wrong to repeat it to you,--that he is likely to make a great deal of money." "Did he? Did he tell you that--did he happen to say how much?" "Well, he spoke as if money were very easily earned," said Effie. "He said something about getting fifty pounds this week."