He fairly bawled his disapproval of the sale of Anne to the decrepit Mr.Thorpe, and there was not a day in the week that did not contain at least one unhappy hour for the women in his home, for just so often he held forth on the sanctity of the marriage vows.
He was connected with a down-town brokerage firm and he was as near to being a failure in the business as an intimate and lifelong friend of the family would permit him to be and still allow him to remain in the office.
His business was the selling of bonds.

The friend of the family was the head of the firm, so no importance should be attached to the fact that George did not earn his salt as a salesman.

It is only necessary to report that the young man made frequent and determined efforts to sell his wares, but with so little success that he would have been discouraged had it not been for the fact that he was intimately acquainted with himself.

He knew himself too well to expect people to take much stock in the public endeavours of one whose private affairs were so far beneath notice.

Men were not likely to overlook the disgraceful treatment of the little "mustard girl," for even the men who have mistreated women in their time overlook their own chicanery in preaching decency over the heads of others who have not played the game fairly.