“Oh, Jack,” she said, “I am so sorry! I liked him so much for himself. Does the advice you want concern him in any way?” “Yes, very closely.” Jack paused. His mother had been sympathetic, the thing had touched her, and it was with less apprehension that he went on. “It concerns him very closely,” he said. “He had a child. No, he was not married----” He looked steadily at his mother as he said this, and saw the sympathy and warmth die out of her face. “The girl is also dead,” he continued. “The baby is about ten days old.” “I should recommend an orphanage,” said Mrs. Collingwood. “I can give you a letter to one.” “He was an awfully good fellow,” said Jack. Mrs. Collingwood drew her mouth very tight. There was no reply necessary. Jack rose. “The girl died suddenly a few days ago,” he said, “only a week after the birth of the baby. Frank died in May last. He appointed me executor of his will, and I see by it that he leaves all he has to his--to this girl in trust for the child. He meant to marry her, he had told me that; of course he ought to have.” “Of course he ought to have!” said Mrs. Collingwood. If you can imagine such a thing as a malignant echo, you will know how she spoke. “You suggest nothing else?” asked Jack, still lingering. “I have already a promise of a place in an orphanage. Of course the child does not want that. There is plenty of money.” “There is nothing else to suggest,” said Mrs. Collingwood, in a perfectly business-like manner. “I cannot see why you wanted my advice if you already have a place for the child.” “No; I was wrong,” said Jack. There was a moment’s silence. All that was righteous and hard in Mrs. Collingwood surged to the surface; all that was human in Jack struggled for utterance. She was the first to speak. “Jack, how can you come to me with such a story?” she said. “You knew already all that I could possibly say, and that without examining into the merits of the case I could not even recommend it. Do you realize what the case is? There are hundreds such, less fortunate, because for them there is no money. It is a bad case, this. The father was rich. If, then, for these hundreds there is no excuse, what excuse is there here? I do not say that the sin is less, if there has been no marriage, because there was no means of supporting possible children, but, if we can weigh anything against that, that is the more excusable. You spoke of him as a ‘very good fellow.’ Have you thought?” Jack stood quite still during his mother’s speech. A little heightened colour appeared on his face, and his big brown eyes opened a little.