"I have been looking into my affairs," he said. This remark meant nothing to Marius, and his brother saw it. "It's a damned unpleasant thing to say," he added, with a half-insolent smile, "but--it's ruin." Marius stared. "What do you mean?" he cried. Rose Lyndwood opened his eyes wide now and gave his brother a full glance. "I mean I am as far in debt as I can go--that my credit is no longer good for--anything. That Lyndwood must go to pay its mortgage, that is what I mean." "I don't understand," answered Marius stupidly. "Have you never heard of a man being ruined before?" asked the Earl. "Gad, it is not so rare!" "But in such a fashion--so suddenly." Rose Lyndwood shrugged his shoulders. "Not so suddenly, only we ignored everything until now. The crash--who cared as long as the money came from somewhere? Neither I nor you, nor my lady." Marius took a step towards his brother. "And my fortune?" he said. Lord Lyndwood gave him a kindly glance. "For that I am sorry," he answered, "and blame myself that ye have ever been led to believe there was anything solely yours, for now that I can no longer pay your allowance ye stand there as poor as I." Marius sat down by the desk against the wall. "Nothing?" he muttered. "Nothing at all?" and his lips trembled. "When they have sold me up," replied my lord slowly, "here and in London, I do not see that there will be a groat between us." "I cannot credit it!" muttered Marius. "Believe me, you may. I have told you the truth in the fewest words." Marius took his head in his hands, resting his elbows on the desk. "And I am a pauper!" he said--"a pauper!" Lord Lyndwood crossed and stood beside him. "What can I say, Marius? When my lord died he left all in confusion, and in confusion all has remained. While the money sufficed we shared it. I could never have done differently to what I did, not being by nature thrifty." Marius was silent. "My lady has a few hundreds of her own," continued the Earl. "Susannah's money, too, is safe, of course"--he glanced at his brother, whose face was concealed from him--"but as for us----" Marius looked up now. His cheeks were red, his eyes suffused. "Well, what for us?" he asked hoarsely. Lord Lyndwood answered the abrupt question with another. "Do you blame me, Marius?" The younger man rose. "Blame you--yes, I do blame you!" he cried. "You had no right, by God, you had no right!" "So this is how you take it," remarked the Earl quietly. "Well, it will help neither of us." He crossed to the fireplace, and his brother's fierce eyes followed him. "_You_ take it very easily, my lord, but I cannot be so patient. You have told me that I am penniless--penniless!" Lord Lyndwood looked at him steadily. "Yes," he said. "Then," answered Marius, very pale, "I tell you that you have behaved bitterly to me, and that I can never forgive you!" The Earl fingered the silver braid on his sleeve. "Why, you are very fierce," he said.