Then she sat silent beside the half-open door, hearing the murmur of Tom's voice across the hall, and hoping, with all her heart, that he would n't have a very hard time.
He seemed to tell his story rapidly and steadily, without interruption, to the end; then Polly heard Mr. Shaw's deeper voice say a few words, at which Tom uttered a loud exclamation, as if taken by surprise. Polly could n't distinguish a word, so she kept her seat, wondering anxiously what was going on between the two men. A sudden pause seemed to follow Tom's ejaculation, then Mr. Shaw talked a long time in a low, earnest tone, so different from the angry one Polly had expected to hear, that it made her nervous, for Mr. Shaw usually 'blew Tom up first, and forgave him afterward,' as Maud said. Presently Tom's voice was heard, apparently asking eager questions, to which brief replies were given. Then a dead silence fell upon the room, and nothing was heard but the spring rain softly falling out of doors. All of a sudden she heard a movement, and Tom's voice say audibly, 'Let me bring Polly;' and he appeared, looking so pale and miserable that Polly was frightened.
'Go and say something to him; I can't; poor old father, if I 'd only known,' and to Polly's utter dismay, Tom threw himself into a chair, and laid his head down on the table, as if he had got a blow that was too much for him.
'Oh, Tom, what is it?' cried Polly, hurrying to him, full of fears she dared not speak.
Without looking up, Tom answered, in a smothered voice, 'Failed; all gone to smash; and to-morrow every one will know it.'
Polly held on to the back of Tom's chair, for a minute, for the news took her breath away, and she felt as if the world was coming to an end, 'failed' was such a vaguely dreadful word to her.
'Is it very bad?' she asked, softly, feeling as if anything was better than to stand still and see Tom so wretched.
'Yes; he means to give up everything. He 's done his best; but it can't be staved off any longer, and it 's all up with him.'
'Oh, I wish I had a million to give him!' cried Polly, clasping her hands, with the tears running down her cheeks. 'How does he bear it, Tom?'
'Like a man, Polly; and I 'm proud of him,' said Tom, looking up, all red and excited with the emotions he was trying to keep under. 'Everything has been against him, and he has fought all alone to stand the pressure, but it 's too much for him, and he 's given in.
It 's an honorable failure, mind you, and no one can say a word against him. I 'd like to see 'em try it!' and Tom clenched his hands, as if it would be an immense relief to him to thrash half a dozen aspersers of his father's honest name.
'Of course they can't! This is what poor Maud troubled about. He had told your mother and Fan before you came, and that is why they are so unhappy, I suppose.'
'They are safe enough. Father has n't touched mother's money; he 'could n't rob his girls,' he said, and that 's all safe for 'em. Is n't he a trump, Polly?' And Tom's face shone with pride, even while his lips would twitch with a tenderer feeling.
'If I could only do anything to help,' cried Polly, oppressed with her own powerlessness.
'You can. Go and be good to him; you know how; he needs it enough, all alone there. I can't do it, for I 'm only a curse instead of a comfort to him.'
'How did he take your news?' asked Polly, who, for a time, had forgotten the lesser trouble in the greater.
'Like a lamb; for when I 'd done, he only said, 'My poor lad, we must bear with one another.' and then told his story.'
'I 'm glad he was kind,' began Polly, in a soothing tone; but Tom cried out, remorsefully,
'That 's what knocks me over! Just when I ought to be a pride and a prop to him, I bring him my debts and disgrace, and he never says a word of blame. It 's no use, I can't stand it!' and Tom's head went down again with something very like a sob, that would come in spite of manful efforts to keep it back, for the poor fellow had the warmest heart that ever was, and all the fine waistcoats outside could n't spoil it.
That sound gave Polly more pain than the news of a dozen failures and expulsions, and it was as impossible for her to resist putting her hand tenderly on the bent head, as it was for her to help noticing with pleasure how brown the little curls were growing, and how soft they were. In spite of her sorrow, she enjoyed that minute very much, for she was a born consoler, and, it is hardly necessary for me to add, loved this reprehensible Tom with all her heart. It was a very foolish thing for her to do, she quite agreed to that; she could n't understand it, explain it, or help it; she only felt that she did care for him very much, in spite of his faults, his indifference, and his engagement. You see, she learned to love him one summer, when he made them a visit. That was before Trix caught him; and when she heard that piece of news, Polly could n't unlove him all at once, though she tried very hard, as was her duty. That engagement was such a farce, that she never had much faith in it, so she put her love away in a corner of her heart, and tried to forget it, hoping it would either die, or have a right to live. It did n't make her very miserable, because patience, work, and common-sense lent her a hand, and hope would keep popping up its bright face from the bottom of her Pandora-box of troubles.
Now and then, when any one said Trix would n't jilt Tom, or that Tom did care for Trix more than he should, Polly had a pang, and thought she could n't possibly bear it. But she always found she could, and so came to the conclusion that it was a merciful provision of nature that girls' hearts could stand so much, and their appetites continue good, when unrequited love was starving.
Now, she could not help yearning over this faulty, well-beloved scapegrace Tom, or help thinking, with a little thrill of hope, 'If Trix only cared for his money, she may cast him off now he 's lost it; but I 'll love him all the better because he 's poor.' With this feeling warm at her heart, I don't wonder that Polly's hand had a soothing effect, and that after a heave or two, Tom's shoulders were quiet, and certain smothered sniffs suggested that he would be all right again, if he could only wipe his eyes without any one's seeing him do it.
Polly seemed to divine his wish, and tucking a little, clean handkerchief into one of his half-open hands, she said, 'I 'm going to your father, now,' and with a farewell smooth, so comforting that Tom wished she 'd do it again, she went away.
As she paused a minute in the hall to steady herself, Maud called her from above, and thinking that the women might need her more than the men, she ran up to find Fanny waiting for her in her own room.
'Mamma's asleep, quite worn out, poor dear, so we can talk in here without troubling her,' said Fanny, receiving her friend so quietly, that Polly was amazed.
