“If anything has happened to Archie,” she said, after a long silence, “I shall never have a moment’s peace as long as I live.”

“Nonsense, Margaret!  Suppose something has happened to him?  We are not responsible.  It’s his own fault if he took away more wine than he was able to carry.”  Mr. Birtwell spoke with slight irritation.

“If he hadn’t found the wine here, he could not have carried it away,” replied his wife.

“How wildly you talk, Margaret!” exclaimed Mr. Birtwell, with increased irritation.

“We won’t discuss the matter,” said his wife.  “It would be useless, agreement being, I fear, out of the question; but it is very certain that we cannot escape responsibility in this or anything else we may do, and so long as these words of Holy Writ stand, ’Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink, that putteth the bottle to him and maketh him drunken’, we may well have serious doubts in regard to the right and wrong of these fashionable entertainments, at which wine and spirits are made free to all of both sexes, young and old.”

Mr. Birtwell started to his feet and walked the floor with considerable excitement.

“If we had a son just coming to manhood—­and I sometimes thank God that we have not—­would you feel wholly at ease about him, wholly satisfied that he was in no danger in the houses of your friends?  May not a young man as readily acquire a taste for liquors in a gentleman’s dining-room as in a drinking-saloon—­nay, more readily, if in the former the wine is free and bright eyes and laughing lips press him with invitations?”

Mrs. Birtwell’s voice had gained a steadiness and force that made it very impressive.  Her husband continued to walk the floor but with slower steps.

“I saw things last night that troubled me,” she went on.  “There is no disguising the fact that most of the young men who come to these large parties spend a great deal too much time in the supper-room, and drink a great deal more than is good for them.  Archie Voss was not the only one who did this last evening.  I watched another young man very closely, and am sorry to say that he left our house in a condition in which no mother waiting at home could receive her son without sorrow and shame.”

“Who was that?” asked Mr. Birtwell, turning quickly upon his wife.  He had detected more than a common concern in her voice.

“Ellis,” she replied.  Her manner was very grave.

“You must be mistaken about that,” said Mr. Birtwell, evidently disturbed at this communication.

“I wish to Heaven that I were!  But the fact was too apparent.  Blanche saw it, and tried to get him out of the supper-room.  He acted in the silliest kind of a way, and mortified her dreadfully, poor child!”

“Such things will happen sometimes,” said Mr. Birtwell.  “Young men like Ellis don’t always know how much they can bear.”  His voice was in a lower key and a little husky.