Mrs. Stubbs was broken-hearted and inconsolable. "If he had only been spared for a bit," she sobbed to her married daughters, who came to her in her trouble; "but to be taken sudden like that! oh, it is ’ard--it is ’ard." "Poor Pa," murmured May; "he was so active, he couldn’t have borne to be ill and helpless, as he would have been if he’d lived. I wouldn’t fret so, if I were you, Ma, dear, I really wouldn’t." "There’s nothing dishonourable," Mrs. Stubbs sobbed; "all’s gone, but your poor Pa’s good name’s ’ere still. I do thank ’eaven for that--yes, I do." "H’m! If Pa’d been half sharp," Flossie remarked, "he’d have taken care there was something left." "He’s left his good name and his good deeds behind him--that’s better than mere money," said Sarah softly, holding her aunt’s hand very tightly in both of hers. "Oh, well, as to that, Sarah," said Flossie, "of course it isn’t likely _you’ll_ blame Pa for being so lavish as he was; dressed just the same as us, and expensive violin lessons twice a week, and all that." Mrs. Stubbs and May both cried out upon Flossie for her words. "Cruel, cruel!" Mrs. Stubbs exclaimed; "when you’ve had every lux’ry you could wish, to blame your poor Pa for his charity before he’s laid in his grave. I’m ashamed of you, Flossie, I am!" And then she hid her face on Sarah’s slim young shoulder, and broke into bitter sobs and tears. CHAPTER XVI A CHANGE OF CIRCUMSTANCES When her husband’s affairs were all investigated and arranged, it was found, to Mrs. Stubbs’s great joy, that matters were scarcely quite so bad as had at first been anticipated. True everything--or what she called everything--was gone; but no stain was there to sully a name which had always been held among City men as a blameless and honourable one. The actual cause of the crash had been the failure of a large bank, which had ruined two important houses with which the firm of Stubbs & Co. had very large dealings; these houses were unable to pay their debts to Stubbs & Co.; and Stubbs & Co., having been living in great extravagance up to the last penny which could be squeezed out of the business, were not able to stand the strain of the unexpected losses. But when everything was arranged, it was found that, with careful nursing and management, the business could be carried on for the benefit of the children until such time as the boys should be of an age to take the management of it themselves. Meanwhile, the trustees took Tom away from the expensive public school at which he was at the time of his father’s death, and, instead of sending him to Oxford, as his father intended to have done a few months later, put him into the clerks’ department of a large mercantile house, where they made him work--as Tom himself said indignantly--as if he were a mere under-clerk at a few shillings a week.