“O yes!” Here Mrs. Lammle brought her handkerchief into play. “And you know, dear Mr. Fledgeby⁠—you who study the human heart, and study the world⁠—what an affliction it would be to lose position and to lose credit, when ability to tide over a very short time might save all appearances.”

“Oh!” said Fledgeby. “Then you think, Mrs. Lammle, that if Lammle got time, he wouldn’t burst up?⁠—To use an expression,” Mr. Fledgeby apologetically explained, “which is adopted in the money market.”

“Indeed yes. Truly, truly, yes!”

“That makes all the difference,” said Fledgeby. “I’ll make a point of seeing Riah at once.”