She's been goin' about to the theatre an' such places with a man as she got to know at the bar, an' Mrs.Tubbs says she believes it's him has tempted her away.' She spoke the last sentences in a low voice, painfully watching their effect.
'And why hasn't Mrs.Tubbs spoken about this before ?' Sidney asked, also in a subdued voice, but without other show of agitation.
'That's just what, I said to her myself.

The girl was in her charge, an' it was her duty to let us know if things went wrong.

But how am I to tell her father?
I dursn't do it, Sidney; for my life, I dursn't! I'd go an' see her where she's lodging--see, I've got the address wrote down here--but I should do more harm than good; she'd never pay any heed to me at the best of times, an' it isn't likely she would now.' 'Look here if she's made no attempt to hide away, you may be quite sure there's no truth in what Mrs.Tubbs says.

They've quarrelled, and of course the woman makes Clara as black as she can.

Tell her father everything as soon as he comes home; you've no choice.' Mrs.Hewett averted her face in profound dejection.