I tell you so now; you've taken to bad ways; you'll have his blood on your head yet.' 'Jim's old enough and big enough to take care of himself,' I said sulkily.

'If he likes to come my way I won't hinder him; I won't try to persuade him one way or the other.

Let him take his own line; I don't believe in preaching and old women's talk.

Let a man act and think for himself.' 'You'll break my heart and poor mother's, too,' said Aileen, suddenly taking both my hands in hers.

'What has she done but love us ever since we were born, and what does she live for?
You know she has no pleasure of any kind, you know she's afraid every morning she wakes that the police will get father for some of his cross doings; and now you and Jim are going the same wild way, and what ever--what ever will be the end of it ?' Here she let go my hands, and sobbed and cried as if she was a child again, much as I remember her doing one day when my kangaroo dog killed her favourite cat.