“Maybe not,” replied Hannah, who was careful not to make mischief between husband and wife. “They say your husband’s done his level best to keep him off it,—locked t’ drink up, and Baldwin broke t’ lock, he was that mad for’t. But I’ve happen done wrong to tell you, for you’ll be safe enough with your husband in t’ house. All t’ same when you’re as you are it’s as well to know.” “Yes, I’m glad you’ve told me,” Nancy said. “I daresay folks are making a deal out o’ very little; but I’ll keep my eyes open and say naught.” When Keturah heard of it she was at first tearfully indignant, but it was her nature to believe the worst, and her sense of helplessness led her to patch up a kind of peace with Nancy upon whom she was ready to lean now that the only prop she had known was likely to fail her. Later, when Baldwin was at no pains to conceal his condition, fear dried her tears, and drove her into a mood of despondency that left her limp and unequal to the strain of her ordinary household duties. The seeds thus sown bore the crop of results Inman had foreseen, and hearing of Baldwin’s moral wreckage, the firms that had continued to give him credit now withheld it, whilst others gambled with the risk by charging higher prices. It was in vain that Inman interviewed and pleaded with them, for he was always forced to admit reluctantly in the end that in their place he would have done the same. “The business is sound enough,” he would say; “but of course I’m not master and Mr. Briggs is. It’s a sad pity that trouble’s driven him to this; but we’ve to take facts as they are and I can’t blame you, though I wish you could see your way just this once——” “Would you, if you were in my place?” Inman hesitated. In conducting these negotiations he gave the impression of a man whose inflexible loyalty was baffled by a strict conscientiousness. “If I could be absolutely sure that he would allow me to guide him, I would say yes. So far he has done so on most occasions. Once or twice lately—but he wasn’t master of himself then, and I’m hoping he’ll pull himself together.” “Find somebody to guarantee the account, Mr. Inman, and you shall have the old terms with pleasure. What about your wife?” Everybody knew by this time that Nancy had ample means. Inman shook his head. “I’ve tried my best, but you know what timid creatures women are; and my wife’s as far in as she cares to be.” “That’s exactly our position, Mr. Inman.” This was how it always ended, and Inman would shake hands with a downcast expression on his honest face, and a note of regret in his voice as he assured the principal that he couldn’t blame him. One man in the village refused to join in the general chorus of condemnation. There is a variation of a familiar proverb that reads: “A friend loveth at all times, and is born as a brother for adversity.” Maniwel Drake was such a friend.