"As though any one could care or ask what became of him!" cried Brett, with something like indignation. "Thank heaven we are just in this country! We do not visit the sins of the blackguard upon the innocent woman he leaves behind him. Fortunately, there are no children. The very name will be forgotten, and Mrs. Darche can begin life over again." "Whoever marries her will have to take old Mr. Darche as an incumbrance," remarked Dolly. "Of course! Do you suppose that such a woman would leave the poor old gentleman to be taken care of by strangers? Besides, he is a beggar. He has not so much as pocket-money for his cigars. Of course Mr. Darche will stay with them. After all, it will not be so bad. He is very quiet and cheerful, and never in the way." Brett spoke thoughtfully, in a tone which conveyed to Dolly the certainty that he had already revolved the situation of Marion's future husband in his mind. "Tell me, Mr. Brett," she said, after a short pause, "will anybody say that she should have sacrificed her own little fortune?" "People may say it as much as they please," answered the young man quickly. "No one will ever make me believe it." "I thought conscientious people often did that sort of thing." "Yes, they do. But this does not seem to me to be a case for that. The bogus certificates of stocks never really were on the market. The first that were issued excited suspicion, and proceedings began almost immediately. Whatever John Darche actually stole was practically taken from the funds of the Company. Now the Company is rich, and it was its own fault if it did not look after its affairs. In some failures, a lot of poor people suffer. That is different. It has fortunately not happened here. The stock will be depreciated for a time, but the Company will continue to exist and will ultimately hold up its head again. The bonds are good enough. After all, what is stock? Lend me some money at your own risk and if I have anything I will pay you interest. If I have nothing, you get nothing. That is what stock means." "I know," answered Dolly, whose clear little brain had long been familiar with the meanings of common business terms. "Yes, you are quite right. There is no reason why Marion should give anything of her own." "None whatever," assented Brett. If Dolly drew any conclusions from what Brett had said, she kept them to herself, and a long silence followed, which was broken at last by the appearance of Russell Vanbrugh, looking pale and tired. He shook hands in silence and sat down. "I suppose it is all over?" said Dolly softly, in a tone of interrogation. "Yes, just as we feared." "What has he got?" inquired Brett, lowering his voice as though he feared that Marion might overhear him, though she was not in the room. "Five years." "Is that all?" asked the younger man almost indignantly. Vanbrugh smiled faintly at the question. "I am rather proud of it," he answered, "considering that I defended the case."