She stopped short and moved away from him a little, hesitating as to what she should say next. It was impossible to describe to him the scene which had taken place between her and her husband. "I cannot tell you, and yet I want you to know," she said, at last. "Do you not trust me?" said Brett, hoping to encourage her. "Certainly. Trust you! Oh yes, I trust you with all my heart." She turned and faced him again. "Then tell me," said he. "Tell me what happened in as few words as possible. Just the bare facts." "It is the bare facts that are so hard to tell." She turned away from him again feeling that if she allowed her eyes to meet his she could not long withhold her confidence. "I suppose your husband let you guess that there was trouble, so that you made the offer spontaneously, and then he accepted it." "Well--yes--no--almost." Still she hesitated, standing by the writing-table, and idly turning over the papers. "I saw that he was worried and harassed and that something was wearing upon him, and I did so want to help him! I thought it might--no I will not say that." "But it will not help matters to throw good money after bad," answered Brett thoughtfully. "Believe me, there is no more chance of saving this money you mean to give him, than all the other millions that have gone through his hands--gone heaven knows where." "Millions?" There was surprise in her tone. "I am afraid so," answered Brett, as though he had no reason in making any correction in his estimate. "You must tell me all you can, all you know," said Marion, turning to him again. "That would be a long affair," said Brett, "though I know a great deal about it. But I do not know all, though the situation is simple enough and bad enough. In spite of the large earnings of the Company, the finances are in a rotten state and it is said that there are large sums not accounted for. An inquiry has been going on for some time, and was, I believe, closed last night, but the result will not be known until this afternoon." "What sort of an inquiry?" asked Mrs. Darche, anxiously. "The regular examination of the books and of all the details which have gone through the hands of your father-in-law and your husband." "My father-in-law! Do you mean to say that they are trying to implicate the old gentleman too?" Marion's face expressed the utmost concern. "As president of the Company, he cannot fail to be implicated." "But he is no more responsible for what he does than a child!" cried Mrs. Darche, in a tone of protestation. "I know that, but he is nominally at the head of the administration. That is all you need know. The rest is merely a mass of figures with an account of tricks and manipulations which you could not understand." "And what would happen if--if--" She leaned towards him unconsciously, watching his lips to catch the answer. "I suppose that if the inquiry goes against them, legal steps will be taken," said Brett. "Legal steps? What legal steps?"