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.
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