He meant what he said, but he seemed depressed, and his visit was on the whole unsatisfactory, as he had no comfort to offer, except that others had failed besides Mr. Grey and come out all right, and that in any event he should love her always. He had not passed a very happy day, but he did not tell her so, or of the wild stories afloat with regard to the failure and its cause. Speculation and gambling were words freely used, and from being the most popular man in town, Mr. Grey was dragged so low that Louie would have shuddered had she heard all that was said of him. Herbert had heard, but what affected him most was his father’s attitude. “Sorry? Of course I am. I am always sorry for the dog that is under, and Grey is so far under that he’ll never get up again,” he said to some men who were discussing the failure. “I always guessed he wasn’t square, and now I know it. There’s a family come to town, who lived in Denver. Quiet folks, who mind their own business. They didn’t know Grey personally, but they heard of him as a gambler. Yes, sir—a gambler, who kept a room on purpose for it, where young men went and old ones, too. They weren’t going to blab, but they’ve told it now he’s burst. Yes, sir—a gambler, and has kept it up with other folks’ money, I’ll bet you, and see what he’s got by it.” This was told in the bank, while to Herbert, when alone, he said: “See what your fooling with that girl would have come to if you had gone on. I haven’t been so blind as you think, and I know you’ve been with her a sight. Nice enough girl, but Tom Grey’s daughter—a man who may go to State’s prison. There’s that in the air, already, headed by Sheldon, who is madder’n a March hare. Serves him right, and Blake don’t give much hope of a dividend. I tell you, if things between you and that girl had amounted to anything, you’d been in a hole; and if you’d stuck to her, by the Lord Harry, I’d cut you off! Yes, sir!” Had Herbert been Fred Lansing, he would have said to his father: “Louie Grey is my promised wife, and I shall stand by her.” But he was not Fred Lansing, and he made no reply, although tempted to blurt out the truth. He had no thought of giving Louie up, but he had not the moral courage to face the storm by her side, and she was left to stem the tide alone. CHAPTER XIV LOUIE’S COURAGE A week passed, and the town was full of rumors of every description. That the assets could not begin to meet the liabilities was a certainty, and the losers were furious. Mr. Grey was called a liar, a cheat, a spendthrift and gambler, who had used the money of the poor to enrich himself. A little lull occurred when it was known that his house was for sale, with his horses and carriage, his wife’s and Louie’s diamonds, the grand piano, and Louie’s wheel, and that the proceeds were to go toward liquidating the debts.