Lily sat down and buried her face in her hands. Alas! to this had her engagement come. But she loved him. When he came into the room and stood before her and she looked up, seeing him shamefaced and with hanging head, she was filled with pity as well as love--pity and shame, and sorrow for the boy. She took his hand and pressed it between her own and burst into tears. "Oh, Charley, Charley!" she cried. "I am a brute and a wretch," he said. "I don't deserve anything. But don't throw me over--don't, Lily!" He fell on his knees before her, crying like a little school-boy. A tendency to weep readily sometimes accompanies the consumption of strong drink. Then he made confession, such confession as one makes who puts things as prettily as their ugliness allows. He had given way once or twice; he had never intended to get drunk; he had been overtaken yesterday. The day was close, he had a headache in the morning. To cure his headache he took a single glass of beer. When he went back to the office he felt giddy. They said he was drunk. They bundled him out on the spot without even the opportunity of explaining. Lily sighed. What could she say or answer? The weakness of the man's nature only came out the more clearly by his confession. What could she say? To reason with him was useless. To make him promise was useless. "Charley," she said at length, "if my forgiveness will do any good take it and welcome. But we cannot undo the past. You have lost your place and your character. As for the future----" "You have forgiven me, Lily," he said; "oh, I can face the future. I can get another place easily. I shall very soon retrieve my character. Why, all they can say is that I seemed to have taken too much. Nothing--that is nothing!" "What will you do? Have you got any money?" "No. I must go and look for another place. Until I get one I suppose there will be short commons. I deserve it, Lily. You shall not hear me grumble." She took out her purse. "I can spare two pounds," she said. "Take the money, Charley. Nay--you must--you shall. You must not go about looking half starved." He hesitated and changed color, but he took the money. Half an hour later he was laughing, as they all three sat at their simple supper, as light-hearted as if there had never been such a scene. When a man is forgiven he may as well behave accordingly. Only, when he lifted his glass of water to his lips he gasped--it was a craving for something stronger than water which tightened his throat like hydrophobia. But it passed; he drank the water and set down the glass with a nod.