ethel hargrave turned with a startled expression on her face.
"what do you mean?" she asked. "is there anything wrong, aunt? you both look as though something dreadful had happened."
"never mind that for a moment," westlake interrupted. "it so happens that i am particularly interested in this mr. charlock. tell me, what is the gentleman like?"
"i like him," ethel went on, "though he does remind one strongly of a bulldog. he has a tenacious, fighting face. but i always was fond of bulldogs. they are such gentle, faithful creatures when you come to understand them."
"you have been talking to him," mrs. rent murmured.
"oh, dear, yes. we had quite a long conversation. our introduction was as unconventional as the most bohemian could have wished. mr. charlock came up the drive carrying a poor little terrier in his arms. i fancy the dog had been run over, for it was bleeding from a wound in the side, and making a horrid mess of mr. charlock's grey flannel suit, which fact i ventured to point out to him. he didn't even take the trouble to reply. he was too busy with the dog. i suppose this incident impressed me favourably. only a really kind-hearted man would have taken all that trouble about a toy-terrier."
mrs. rent and westlake did not appear to be listening. the solicitor turned to his hostess and elevated his eyebrows.
"this is certain to be the same man," he said. "the circumstance is so extraordinary that it could not be anybody else. i think there is one thing we can count upon—he has not come to make any disturbance. i should not be surprised to find him utterly ignorant of any relations between that lady and your son. it is unfortunate that he should be here at this moment, but it can't be helped. don't you think it would be as well if i saw him and explained matters?"
"perhaps you had better," mrs. rent murmured. "naturally, i have a certain amount of sympathy for mr. charlock, and i agree with you that he has only come here to talk over ethel's portrait. if you will be so good as to see him——"
"what is all this mystery?" ethel demanded. "why am i being kept in the dark? not but what i shall know sooner or later, because dear aunt helen is one of the most transparent women in the world. it would be impossible for her to keep a secret for more than a day."
westlake turned to mrs. rent.
"you had better tell her," he said. "meanwhile, i'll go and see what i can do with the artist."
westlake's tone was so grave that the smile faded from ethel's cheeks. she placed an arm around her aunt's neck and kissed the white cheek tenderly.
"i know you are in some trouble," she murmured. "tell me what it is. you have lost all your money?"
"not a penny," mrs. rent replied. "a money loss would be nothing to the trouble i am suffering now. it is difficult to tell you the truth, but it will have to be told. you know how proud i have always been of arnold. you know how i have boasted that the boy could do nothing wrong. well, he has disgraced us. there is no other word for it. he has forgotten his duty to god and to himself. he has deliberately broken one of the commandments."
ethel's face grew as pale and colourless as that of her companion.
"do not be afraid to speak," she murmured. "try to forget that i am not a child. what has arnold done?"
"there was a woman," mrs. rent said incoherently. "she was a married woman, which makes matters worse. and now she has left her husband ... with arnold. i could not say more if i sat here all night. of course, one could find excuses for the boy. one could argue that he has acted in this mad fashion from chivalrous motives. but the sorry truth remains that these two have gone off together, and that scandal is bound to follow. of all the paths of dishonour that my boy might have trodden, i cannot think of one more discreditable than this. don't press me to say more. don't ask me for details, for i have none to give you. mr. westlake came here at once to break the trouble to me, and i have no doubt that i shall have a long letter from arnold in the morning."
"what are you going to do?" ethel asked. she could think of nothing else to say. "you will see him, of course."
"i don't know. i am not sure. i have been a fond and loving mother to arnold, and i have striven to do my duty by him, but, also, i owe a duty to society. and everything that i possess is at my discretion. if i like to say the word, arnold will rise to-morrow without a penny. i have not said much, because i hardly realise the magnitude of this disaster. shame and disgrace like this must not be allowed to go unpunished. i don't wish to be too hard upon anybody, but i cannot believe that that woman would have thrown in her lot with my son unless she had known he had great expectations."
"i see what you mean," ethel said. "you are going to take a firm stand. but why not wait? why assume that there is anything really wrong? it is not just to arnold. you do not mean to disown him?"
"oh, no, no," mrs. rent cried. "i could not do that. that might be the means of sending a poor, unhappy creature headlong to her ruin. we may find mr. charlock——"
"mr. charlock!" ethel exclaimed. "do you mean to say——"
"i am afraid so," mrs. rent went on. "i am afraid that the cruel irony of fate has brought the poor gentleman into this house at the most inopportune time. it may be mere coincidence, but that is almost too much to hope for. what was i saying? oh, yes. you see, when the law gives mr. charlock his freedom, it will be a point of honour on arnold's part to marry this woman. common humanity will prevent me from interfering. common decency would compel arnold to take that step. and do you suppose that that wicked creature would care much, so long as she had money to spend? she would make arnold take her on the continent. she would drag him down to her own level. the best years of his life would be wasted. but if i say that they must go their own way, without assistance from me, arnold may pull himself together and live down his disgrace. don't you see, i wish to find out what this woman is made of? perhaps mr. charlock may be a wretch, and have driven his wife in sheer desperation to take this step."
"i don't believe it," ethel said firmly. "i don't believe that a man who would take so much trouble over a stray dog could be guilty of unkindness. there is something about his face that i like. but i interrupt you."
"what was i saying? oh, i want to test the woman. i want to see if she will remain true to the man whose life she has spoilt in the face of adversity. if so, then in the future she has little to fear from me. meanwhile, i have made up my mind. i will stop arnold's allowance. he will not receive another penny from me. he is strong and brave and clever. he is equipped for the earning of his own living. all this i will tell him when we meet to-morrow. it will be something for him to find out that i have a side to my character which he has not dreamt of. you may not think that i am right. you may say that i am hard and cruel——"
"you could never be that," ethel murmured. "i am very fond of arnold, and this has been a terrible blow to me, not the least so because it has wounded my pride. but i don't want to talk about myself. i am certain you are right, and that, in the circumstances, you could not do anything else. but you will let me go with you to-morrow. i know that mr. westlake will accompany you, but a man is so useless in times like these. besides, i have a desire to see the woman who has come in and wrecked our paradise. i want to judge her for myself."
"that is out of the question," mrs. rent decided. "but here is mr. westlake."
westlake came slowly into the room. he could see that mrs. rent had told ethel everything, and that, therefore, he could speak freely.
"it is just as i thought," he said. "this is the husband of the woman who has infatuated your boy. as you may imagine, mr. charlock feels the situation acutely. of course, it occurred to him that you were the mother of arnold rent, but he himself is here on business. he says that you invited him to come at the first favourable opportunity, offering your hospitality, which a day or two ago he thankfully accepted. in his letter he fixed to-day, and said he should be here at the time mentioned, unless he heard from you to the contrary. taking your silence for consent, he came. and, mind you, till i told him a few minutes ago, he had not the faintest idea of this madness between arnold and his wife. i should like to save you as much pain as possible, but you must see him."
