Her mother's word on such a subject was supposed to be more credible that her own; and now this man with whom she was believed to be so closely connected had disappeared from the world among the most disreputable circumstances.

But when she explained the difficulty to her mother her mother bade her hold her tongue for the present, and seemed to hold out a hope that the captain might at last be restored to his old position.
"Let them restore him ever so much, he would never be anything to me, mamma." Then Mrs.Mountjoy would only shake her head and purse her lips.
On the evening of the day after the fracas in the street Harry Annesley went down to Buston, and there remained for the next two or three days, holding his tongue absolutely as to the adventure of that night.

There was no one at Buston to whom he would probably have made known the circumstances.

But there was clinging to it a certain flavor of disreputable conduct on his own part which sealed his lips altogether.
The louder and more frequent the tidings which reached his ears as to the captain's departure, the more strongly did he feel that duty required him to tell what he knew upon the matter.

Many thoughts and many fears encompassed him.