THE WEIRD SISTERS.

A ROMANCE,

By RICHARD DOWLING,

Author of " Tub Myst-ky ov Killard."

PART I. A PLAIN GOLD i-iUARD.

CHAPTER VII,

TRUSTEE TO CANCELLED PAGES, "Come in," said tho banker mechanically, and his mother entered. With a start Mr Grey's mother cried out " Henry I" then crossed the room hastily, and, putting her hand on his arm, looked up into his face with alarm. With an amused smile he glanced down at her, and said simply, " Mother 1" in a tone of bidinage, as if paying her off in her own coin by replying t<> her with a single word. "What was that you held in yonr hand aud dropped into the bag as I ©ame in ?" she asked, with reproachful earnestness, looking up fixedly into his eyes, as though she would pierce to his innermost thoughts. He put his hand on her shoulder play fully, and smoothed one of th.* black silk strings of her black bonnet with his thumb and finger, returning her steady gaze with a steady eye ond a fne smile. "That mother," he answered, "is the countersign for thieves." " The countersign for thieve' ? What do you mean, Henry; you ought not to bandy words with your mother." "Indeed, I am not playing with words. lam only describing tho weapon and its use a8 briefly as possible. I wai looking at my revolver, for I was just about to set out on a journey. You see if a thief comes np to a man armed with a n-voiver, and de mands tbe man's purse, the man produces that revolver and the thief say*, " Pass on, friend." If a thief who has stoleo money meets the man ho stole it from, or a police man, and can pull out a revolver, then he can say to the man or the policemau, " Let me pass, or I will shoot you .town ;" or sup pose the thief finds the odds are n, ainst him —he can put tbo barrel to his own temple, and pass the foe io spite of numbers. Now, mother, don't you think my explanation is very clever and very exhaustive ?" Ho placed hia two hands ou tne widow's shoulders, and pushed lie luck arm's length, dropped his heaei roguishly over his shoulder, langbed a soit luugb, which seemed to invito her to enjoy bid cleverness and be amused at the humour of the ex planation,, Mrs Grey did not smile. For a moment her face grew puckered and perplexed. In ber eyes shone tbe light of a. mental conflict between anger and tears. The conflict ended in a few moments, She threw herself into a chair and covered ber face with her hands, She neither stormed nor wept. He haiitened to her with compunctious solicitude. Lie knelt ou one ttnee by her side, and put his poweif til arm round her emaciated shoulders, and with the hand of bia other arm genily drc tv down her hands from her face, "Mother! mother I" ho pl.a'led, in a tone of pitsiionnte tenderness. " I did not mean to annoy or trouble you. I w.ib only a little wilfully follow! ug out a fancy, a conceit. It was a foolish vauiiy that made me seem to play with your questions. You know, my own mother, 1 would not give you any pain I could help, for all the wot 1(1. Forgive me, and let ua drop the nonsense. Forgive me, and Jet us speak of something elae." All the earne-tnoss of thi- man's nature went into tk-ase worcs, and tun was in them anil tbe mauuor attend ng iheiu a fervid-pathos whioh stirred th-- h. ar: of the woman so deeply it almo t killed ber to keep froni crying out, and throwiog her arms round her son, and w.ding ou his breast. Bnt by a superhuman -.-fiort, an effort no created being could mike but a mother for the salvation of achi d she held hor passionate love within hr nw i heart: for, accor"iog to her theory, a- m"-t all women who wish to rul.- their child oo ; and she wanted to rule, not io the love ot power, but for the love of love and the per aervatiou of ber son She gave ono quick glance at h in out of those shat p eyes, and [hoi. tbiowiu-.' down the eyes ou the ground, said in a consirained voice : "The St. George's Bank n Company has failee 1! There is a run o'i the I a 'e lotd. You arc unillo i meo. that run, and you were t'-rnkiog oi g it g away from the inn and the closn.- o the d on with-—that" She aim lit rod. aiaed her hand, and point.d to the blue-, big into which he had dropped the revolver, "No I no I no ! mother 1" he cried im ploringly. "I pledge you mv word—if you like I will prove to you— bat ivt are able to meet any run that may ootue uuou u-. in cooscquence of thin fuitnre. If you like I will call in Aldridge to corroborate my words " "Corroborate your word, H ry!' she cried scornfully. "Do you th nk I could doubt my son's word, and beliuve the word of any other man alivo? Never while I live, I hope, shall you fall so pitifully low as to need another man's word to h ip your word to my belief," Sbo laid ho d of the imputed question of her sou., word as a point on which to rally her dis. rdercd feel ings, and overcome tho tendency she felt to break down. " Well, mother, rest assured this run threatens us with no danger whatever. On the contrary, as we are able to meet it without the least inconvenience, the posi tion of the Bank ought to be very materi ally improved whan all becomes quiet again." He rose and left her as he spoke, and locked the two doors of t,e room, observing : " We don't want any ooe to come and interrupt us now." By the time ho returned to hia seat she had recovered her composure. "Then what do you mean by 'setting out ova journey?' Those worua helped me into the fear." As a reply to that question, he pushed the note he had just received from Mrs Grant across tbe table to her, and said : "Road that, and you will understand." Sho adjusted her tortoiaeshell spectacles and read the note deliberately. When she had iiulahed she looked up quickly. He was standing at the window, looking out. His back was towards her. and she could not sec his face. It waa wrinkled and drawn up like a yellow leaf. " Doyou know what you are wanted for at tho Castle 2" she asked briskly. " No." " What has happened to your voice ?" ahe asked, in a tone of anxiety and sur prise. He had spoken as though bia wind pipe was almost closed In a gripe. "Nothing; or at least something has gone against my—breath. What am I wanted for at the Castle?" Still he spoke as If half suffocated. Still lie kept his f ice to the window. Still his face waa wrinkled and yellow and withered up. " I met Dr. Hardy as I came in. He bad just driven Btraight back from the Castle. There has been a consultation ot doctors to-day, and they have little or no hope cf

Sir Alexander getting better He has not yet made his will, and they all agreed you were the only person likely to have any in fluence with him. They could get him to do nothing about it."- Grey's face cleared as if by magic. He turned round suddenly, threw up both his hands, and burst into a loud and continu ous shout of laughter. His mother started to her feet, and looked at him aghast. " Henry !" she cried, io great alarm ; " Henry, what is tbo matter?" "Nothing, mother, nothing," he eaid be tween bis laughter. "I thought it was something serious. She regarded him in a stupor of amaze ment for o few seconds. " You thought it was something serious," she whispered, as if she questioned her besting, " Yes, something very serious." " But it i* ve>y sjrioua. He is in danger of death, and has not yet made his will. J-urely that, Henry, is no subject for laugh ter." He was composed now. His face was radiant, and he smiled apologetically as he said, "You must really forgive me, dear mother. The fact is, for the past quarter of an hour I have been on such a stretch, in tbe interview between us that to hear of anything elae but my own affairs relieved mc, and I could not help laughing, I did not, indeed, laugh a-the thought of poor Sir Alexander being ill. I pity him with all my heart. But what you said touched some spring in my mind, and I could no more have forbonoto laugh than to breathe for an hour. Well, I think I had better start for the Island nt once. You now feel all right about the Bank? You feel quite comfortable about it, mother, don't yon ? " Yes; but do not bo so odd, Henry; you frighten me to death with your strange ways ot Into." " I hove a good deal of anxiety, and perhaps am too abrupt. More of my abrupt ness ; I can't wait another moment. Good bye, mother." And in a few seconds be had gono. When she found herself alone, she eat down to recover aud to reflect. "Every day," ahe thought, "he becomes less like bis old self, and more of a riddle." Her eyes caught something on tbo table. " When I came in he told me he was examining that dreadful thing because he was going on a journey, and now he's gone off aud left it behind him in tbo bag on that table. Can he be losing his reason 1" When Mr Groy found himself outside tho Bank-door he hailed the nearest fly, jumped in, and cried cheerily to tho driver :— " Island Ferry, and I lay you a half-crown to a whip-lash you don't do it under half an hour. Take the time end drive on." With a chuckle of grave satisfaction, the banker threw himself back in the 11 y, and as they drove rapidly through the town he waved bis band or doffed his hat at every twenty yards. There was cordiality inevery look that greeted him, and many who saw him go by turned and gazed with admira tion and envy after tho fino rich jovial banker. No wonder he looked pleased. An hour ago, leas than au bour ago, he had, .upon reading the note, almost como to the con clusion S>r Alexander Midharst had dis covered he. Grey, had "borrowed" overy penny of tbe immense sum confided to bis charge by the baronet. _ucb a discovery would havo been to him simply and literally fatal. Early in this yoar, when ho disclosed the secret of the Bank to his mother, be and it wore bankrupt, and all the depositors' money waa gono. Pressure after pressure had como upon him after that, and all such demands had been met by " borrowing " the baronet's savings without tho baronet's consent. Three months ago he was a bankrupt, now he was a bankrupt and a thief. He had no more right to sell those Consols than to put his hand into any customer's pocket aud take his purse. He had glided into the thing gradually, beginning by borrowing twenty thousand pounds, which he caused to be lodged to his own credit at his London agents in tho name of Barringron, Ware, aud Duncan, an imaginary firm of Boston merchants, who remitted the money through their London agent on account of supposititious dealings ia hides on the western coast of tho United States. The twenty thousand hnd only stopped the gop for a few days. Then heavier and heavier bills came to maturity, and before there was any general uneasiness in the commercial world, one hundred thousand pounds of the batonet's savings had been ■'borrowed." Then came ugly rumours of certain bank ing establishments; and although the D-ineford Hank was always spoken of with tbe highest esteem in the district, the city, and in such quarters of London as it was known, the accommodation market had got very much straitened, and the Daneford Bank's London agents not only hinted they did not care to make any additional ad vances, but sounded Grey as to the possi bility of their being able to get a little ad vance from him. Could ho let them have fifty thousand for six weeks on Argent nos tiiov did not want to sell 1 Here waa a chance of showing the stability of his own concern and help ing a friendly firm whisb might be oi incal culable use to him another time, wow that he had dipped into the Midharst fund, why not go deeper ? He could make some thing out of this transaction; and it was for the good of Sir Alexander as well as himself tbat he should try to pull back all the money he could, and keep the name of the Bonk ot the very highest level. He lent the money. Then came other "pressures because of those old speculations, a quarter of million at least; aod last, more uneasy rumours In the financial world, and the possibility of a run on the Bank. At all risks the Bank must stand ; for on i s stability de pended not only the life of Henry Walter Grey, but all chance of winning back aay portion of the baronet's money. When tho moment of this decision arrived Grey put down his last stake ; sold the last hundredthousand of Sir • riexnodei's half a million Consols, and bought the re volver. As ho put tho matter to himself in his figurative way, the situutioa now was a race between gold and lead. Would the gold, in the form of profits and deposits, come back to him in such quantities as to prevent tho necessity for the outgoing of the lead ? It was on Wednesday, tho 30th of May, 18CG, he cot that note from Mrs Grant, tie had just been calculating bid chances of falling io for some of the business of the St. Goorgo's Bank. He hud oven put down a few figures to please and flatter his sight. It might bo that if he could hold on and get —say, half the business of the Daneford branch of the St. George's Bank, tha chance of gold overtaking the lead would be enormously iucreascd. All tbis was of course contingent upon Sir Alexander re maining in ignorance of tho •' burrowing." If that came to his eats in any way, nothing could prevent tho load overtaking the gold. Tbat note almost precipitated the crisis, In the usual way, when he was wanted at the Castle Sir Alexander wrote a line himself, or called and asked tho banker idown for the evening. This noto did

not come from Sir Alexander, but from' Miss Midbai tit's companion. At the moment when bis mother entered a straw might hove turned his resolution in favour of giving the lead a walk-over. But with the news bitmght by his mother all was changed, and the gold had taken a good lead. As he eat back in the fly and reviewed his position, he could hardly restrain hia exultation within the bounds of mere facial joy. He would have liked to get out and run through the streets, and shout. A few minutes ago he held all black carda to a red trump. Now the whole pack soomed to have been put before him face up. with liberty to select his own hand and turn a trump of bis own choosing. No run could injure the Oanelord Bank ; other banks might fail, bnt his was secure for the timo; and by the aid of its good substantial name tbe Daneford would get strong while others were crumbling, ond|tbe future success of tbe Bank would be assured beyond the reach of his highest hopes of years ago. Only two chances were against him, and if neither of these chances turned up within twelve months he might laugh at fate. The former was that ia the will there should be introduced anything adverse to him. The latter was that the old man should die io less than twelve .months, and leave it incumbent on the banker to render an account of the money before the end of twelve months. Grey had fully made up hia mind as to the necessity for a will; without a will there would ,in all likelihood be Chancery proceedings; and wbile no one in Dane ford would dream of suspecting Grey, or ask details of the account, much less veri fication of the items, the Chancery folk would go through the whole affair as a matter of routine, und not as a matter of pre caution, or because of any suspicion. Let there be a will, by all means. It was line to drive through the bright sun light of that glorious May woather, and feel that the gold was overtaking the lead. It was better than recovering from a long ill itess ; it was coming back to life and green fields and tho voices of birds and the pres sures of hands we love, out of the dark, damp, noi>omo tomb. When Mr Grey arrived at Island Ferry, he alighted, told the driver of the fly tc wait for him, and took the boat to the Island, as soon as he arrived at the Caetle he was shown into the dreary deserted banquet room. Hero be found irrepressible little Mrs Grant waiting for him. After sometime he gathered from her how matters stood, and sent up hia name to the sick man, Sir Alexander would see Mr Grey. Whon the banker reached the room where the baronet lay, he was greatly shocked at the change which had taken place in tbe latter since tbe last time they had met, al though that was only a few days ago. There bad always been a bright bloom, tbe bloom of old age heightened ond deepened by the malady which afflicted him chronically, on tbe old man's face. Now the chooks were puffed and purple, and the eyes, ence to keen and cola, were dull and restless and impatient. the long thin sinewy hands lay outside the counterpane, and the voice of the sufferer when he spoke was tremulous, querulous, making a painful contrast to the tirni, clear, thin, biting Bpeech of other days, After the usual greetings and Grey s ex pression of sorrow lor his indisposition, the old man spoke quickly, and in an unsteady void. "These doctors have been worrying me to-day, Grey, and I am very glad you have come. I want to talk to you. Pull that blind across the window; I hate the sun light. Thank you, Grey. Sit down now, where I can Bee you. It's a comtort to look at ii man like you after these false prophets aud hoarse ravens. The doctors have been with me, Grey; and they tell me I should make my will, Now I'm not talking to you as a mcelicnl man, but as a man of bu-ioese. What do you say ?'' *• Havo you spoken to Mr Shaw about tbe matter?" afked the banker softly. "No ; I have not spoken to Shaw abont it. I bate lawyers," cried the old man pettishly. "If I hated lawyers," returned Grey, witn a shy smile, " I should not be without a will for four-and-twenty hours." " Why ?" demanded the old man, with a contraction of the brows and a glance ot suspicion at an imaginary group of lawyers. " You know, Sir Alexander, lawyers have a special prayer, asking for the man agement of iutcßtate estates." no raised his eyebrows and smiled archly at the pros trate man. " I don't understand you, Grey. These doctors, with their fears and their jargoo, have confused me. What do you mean J" For a moment the banker looked at the baronet uneasily. Could it be tbat already bis mind w_s becoming clouded.or torpid ? After a moment's observation and thought, G.ey decided that the old man was only dazed and tired. "What I mean, Sir Alexander, is, that in caeca where there is no will, the low costs often consume the whole estate, ond always eat up enormously more money than where there is a sound will." The old mnu reflected awhile. " Have you made your owa will ?" -he asked. " Certainly. I could not rest if I thought what little fortune 1 may have should, in stead of going to my wife, be scattered about in this aod that court, in this and that litigation. As I go home the ferry-boat may overturn and I may be drowned, the horse may run away and I may be killed. Making a will has with me no connection with good or bad health. It is a business thing which ought, on the principle ef economy, to be dooe iv time. In nothing more than in making a will is it true that a stitch in time saves nine ?" There was a long pause. 'Grey!" " Yes, Sir Alexander." " You helped me to put this fortune to gether for my daughter." *. bow of deprecation. " You. have beea ten years now taking core of it for her." " Yes, Sir Alexander." What was com ing now ? Could all this bo a ruse J Was this serene interview to end in a storm of intolerable ruin ? Has this old man been loading up with deceiving equanimity to some prodi»ioui burst, some unendurable tempest of reproach 1 " Will you go sill farther f " In what way ?" " VVill you act, as one of the executors, the chief—no, as the sole, as 8010 trustee and guardian ?" " What 1 Sir Alexander, Sir Alexander, are you—are you trifling with me? II you arc, give it up. I cannot, I will not, be trifled With." Bis face shrivelled up, and be covered it in his hands. For that brief space he thought all had been dis covered. ' What I say I mean. Why should I trifle with ._ ou : If lam to die or be killed, let mo dio with the knowledge tbat the Untune ot my child will be as safe when I am dead as it is now. Will you do tbis, Grey, for me ?'' "I will." " Thon you may tell Shaw to come, Go to him at once, I wish to make my will."

CHAPTER VIII. WAT GKEY'S ROMANCE DIES OUT. MR Grey's drive to Castle Ferry had been an excursion to meet victory; his re turn to Daneford was a triumphant pro gress. Now it seemed to him nothing short of a conspiracy between fate aud accident could wreck him. Tbe two chances which had threatened him with ruin had melted into thin air. Nothing advetee to bim would be in the will, ann not only that, but from the day of Sir Alexander's death until the comiog of ago of Miss Midharst he would have absolute control of affairs, and every chance of making good the sum he bad obstracted. Tbe gold waa going to beat the lead at a walk. The financial irorld was now in a slate of deplorable despondency, but that condition of things could uot last for ever. There was, of course, no prospe-ct of his making a tenth pott of tbe haifa million profit during the twelve month' ; bat the St. George's Bank was gone, anu deposits would come flowing in, and having obliged his London agents in their need, they could notrefnee him anything iv reason by-and-by. After riding out the br-d times his credit would be so firmly eatattlished thot he could get money on the best terms to build up tbe horrible gap h» bad made. He could borrow to replace what he had stolen. "I shall win now, and I shall win easily," he thought, as he drove through tbe bright fresh air towards Daneford; "and by the time tbe-e is another dissolution who can tell bnt I may take one of the seats far the city, if it is offered to me." He went straight to Mr Shaw, and told that gentleman how Sir Alexander Midharst desirnl to see him with a view to making bis will, and how his client, although in immediate danger of death, was neverthe less in a state ol health which made it highly de.-irabie hia w'< rldly affairs should be put in order as quickly as possible. Mr i-haw visited (he Castle that eveniner, wrote ft <>m the baronet's dictation, and on Monday, the 4t.h of June, 1866, the will was signed by Sir Alexander in the presence of two competent witnesses, who, in the presence of the testator and of one another, affixed their signatures. A few days afterwards Mr Grey met tbe lawyer. " Well," "aid tbe banker, with one oi his easiest smiles, "did you do what was required at the Castle ?" "Yes," answered the white-haired soli citor, who was tremulous, and had a dis concerting *ay of siinttiug his eyes and con sulting imaginary internal Acts of Par liament when ho spote. He was not by nature communicative, and be held in rigid regard all professional etiquette; but Mi Henry Walter Gioy was a very exceptional man, and, moteover, the testator had told bim Grey had consented to act as guardian and trustee; therefore he did not feel he committed any impropriety in adding : "Sir Alexander Bppeiu.it to share public feeling in your favour, aud to place unlimited con fidence in our most caretul banker." "You are very kind," returned Mr Grey, with his most cordial smile. "As you know, our ei-iabli^hment has been a long time connected,witSi the Castle, and when Sir Alexander asked me to act, it would look ungracious in me to refuse." "It's a heavy reponsibility." "Oh, as f_r as the responsibility goes " He did not finish the sentence in words, but with a siiru* of bis shoulders as much as to say, ""We bankers are accustomed to grave responsibilities." Then the two pa: ted. From tbi- conversation Grey not only gathered tbat the will „bad been made, but also that he tad been appointed executor and trustee to tha document and the estate, and guardian to the heiress. And yet as, she days went oa he was far from easy. Many things coused him trouble and made liiin anxious. The gloom over the financial world deepened instead ol lifting. The ordinary depositors grew shyer and Jshyer, us crash followed crash, and house foi lowed house, in the dreadful ruin of time ,No one breathed a word against the Daneford Bank : ail who spoke of it ac knowledged its position unassailable ; still its ousiness showed no vast increase, no such increase as would help Grey out of the whirlpool into which he had been drawn, although the Bank's borrowing power had been secured. From bad, thing* went to worse. As tbe year wore on, some of his best customers began to fed tho pressure of the times. Instead of finding tunds flowing into the Bank in unexampled abundance, money ran out. Old respectable firms now came to him and asked to be helped over the disastrous period. They brought this security and that, and be^ge > for advances. If the name and fame of the Bank were to be magnified, this was tbe time to do it. He had still funds etiougb to make the Bank proof against thi* contingency; over and above tbis he hud a little margin, not much, but most useful. About tbe middle of June the Weeslade Steamship Company quarrelled with their bankers, the Weeslade Valley Bank. The Steamship Company wanted an advance of five thousand p muds on the river steam boat Bod well, which carried passengers between Danefo <i and Seaclitf. The Weeslade Valley B ink refused. The Steam ship Company withdrew their account from the VaUey Bink, aid offered their business to the Daneford B ink. The account was opened in tne Dauetoid, and the advance waa made by mortgage on the Rod well, tbe Steamship Cou.p•> v paying interest on the advance, and depositing with the mortgage a policy of insurance against total loss by water or weather. Towards the end of Jnne the Daneford Bank's London ateut failed, by which the Bank lost n clear twenty thousand pounds, | besides losses by delay in getting a dividend. This was very venous. It caused a run on the Daneford Bank. In three days thirty thousand pounds were withdrawn in excess of average drafts. On the morniug of the third day the Dane ford Bank issued a circular which took the town by storm. The circular waß brief, and ran as follows : " Thursday, 23th June, 1566. " Thk Daneford Bank. " Take notice, owing to the fact that a run has begun on the Daneford Bank, the offices of that Bank will ba opened every morning at eight instead of nine, and will be closed at seven instead of four p.m., until thin run has ceased. "Henry Walter Grey." "lhe circular w;>s town talk the next day. The admirers of Wat were more enthusiastic than ever in their praises of his boldness and wisdom. This circular killed the panic, and on Saturday of the same week the drawings had shrunk back to an aver age. Yet for anoilier week the Bank waa kept open from eight in the morning till seven in tho eveniug. On Monday, tbo 9th oi July, a second circular waa issued from the Hank, saying that as the run had ceased for a week the office hours for the future would be as of old, from 9 a.m to 4 p.m. But, although the run had ceased, up wards of thirty thousand pounds had been withdrawn, and only five thousand found its way back again, aud tbat was decidedly bad. The Bank was not in the least jeopardy. Sir Alexander Midharst. half

a million bad saved it; but tii_^_!_fP if money was not only not rotur^T^-M the balance ot it in hand began t__r:i''l H Notwithstanding aU this .n,_i^ ar*», 1 sure and the perilous positions }& |! Grey stood, no one could detect in to,*? || or manner a clue to the anxiety wltfT'* fv sumed bim. t-ttll he was the taßKjL^' |- companion, tbe same jovial host, the 11* it i considerate employer, the aam» _£__■.' P patron. ""jl g Xo his mother he displayed fVi 1 view of his position. He showed hsA the steamship business had fallen.Satos?" because he was in funds and co.M _r accommodation beyondthepowerof i|S{ rival. Ho admitted the loss i_ uSf" but pointed ont how the loss and ts_^»' taken together, must end in great ad« 3 to his Bosk. "tf She heard not only his story, bat t all who spoke to her on the subject«? gratalations upon tbe Bank's poaittoa , • his great prudence and good reorAnJi told ncr the money irom Boston had aoj_2_ saved bim, bnt h^d bo improved bi* sources that the Bank was now in fj|Jr\ good a position as at anytime darkm father's lifetime. Hard as the business affaira of ]_ qC pres-ed upon, him, and .lifficultas hef(g burden, they were not all the toonlS. had to endure, ■* In order to pievent bankruptcy _,y: i committed fraud. Up to this titneheSj' ' carried on this fraud without ex_«j_r breath of suspicion. 'lhe man ;!_]__:/ money he had appropriated to hisown n?7 not only felt no m'f.'ivings a? to the jJS of his vast hoard, but had recently IsrkSj. upon him, Grey, flu last proofs oftaH; confidence wheu placing practically oU tt_t fortune and the care ot the heiress i_j_ hands. li But, as well as the p essurj jf __, business end the weight of his crhj, j" bad other difficulties to endure, _p_w? ■' entertained bs tnends with _k; m j__ hospitality and good trace, butffie_iffiSrl of the inner circle if his domestic-lifeSJr daily harder a:,..l harder to bsar 1 The eccentricity of Mrs Grey da»___. with time, and, still more unTortaSS. the terrible infirmity to wMofflSSS' way increased upon Det^ She was chiidVs •' »/,« «,„„ „r :• in that great ■.&A™ftrt<*'"- colled upon her, and b).p ,-_.' ■ **&*■■■ i Her husband _,"£££ 'fi?,*"* oat, . towards her, and eh e to„ldnif inina?ner ,he would not gel h e r T_,?l f°, nothiD 8 and she were not Tone, thJttSS" he I be^ooe,tbatthey^S b e lor,W,l^ Mr Grey did not lund. <■+ .„_ • ' MrsGreynsnailyhXtft'h^ • except upon the rare occasions wfiK he sff7 aT Untancea""W andatovSl *' Seldom Mr urey dined out; SSw someone to dine with .bim, and „*_!?* gave parties. All .thh^ffW- **- to be mucb, by herself, .-.adSfiftfS one of her disposition and ie_W / / ■ By little and little A'SSa grew. It was west caref D |Jy™i c S h^strove -tt^AWSaft,. With that view hehiid alittis m)nui fitted up in the only roem.inmißhStte- Tower. For this f*pW he gouZ* keys - one for himself, a,nd one for b_ wif_ In giving her the- key he had said:«___?.' ; ••In future you _wiU find thefeln. ! ordinary purposes io the new caploaid. s. ' that you may no: ha ,-c the troableof said" ing to the cellar for it, or in cult laßumt and you want more than is decanted. Mtt can get it there. You will always i__« some there without sindiogfo tt. cellar for " Bat we don't want ant} reamtj____jji. canted—so few people call," saidthewito tremulously. "I know, I 'mow. But someonow call, and as I keep the key of the ccli.._™ might find yourself in a _J£_._ait r«baabit_" Tnke tliis key of he cupboard, and' bete is the key of the rom itself ;"to«s_i only" ■ one other key, and I have that, -'ht.tom is the quietest in the whole haw>_||< door locks on either the in or, The room in comfortably done up, sad you can make any use yon please .^i_ft«..:. feel worried, or not very well, aidvii.b getaway from the unnovance '_;'_«;t_, vants, you can go and lie dosn .. wb_j there," These precautions were, deplorable and degrading. All the lovehe bad once Wm - this woman had died; and ai-iaaojb he bid carefully concealed his fe^gjjtojnrnlt;.,:,. her, he bad at last come t$ 'regardLet,with loathing. „.,, She was in no way responsible tw#» disasters whicn had fallen on his bisiaesi; she furnished no excuse for t_3 _«_»_>, had committed, but she waa one of the tie ments of his misfortune; and now thit ehe had fallen into anodiona ianlt, h. lesolvad to put no impediment on her downward career, so long as her descent...dicL^tot become apparent to tbe public, It waa a sad development of the romantic ltd chivaltic story of Wat Grey's wooing Bit thert so long as Daneford' ktiev nothing ot the decay of ; tbat romance, or the decline of tiat chivalry, the fact that both were .going, gone, was of little moment to Wat Grey. His embezzlement of the'money had taught him that damaging facts had no in jurious influence with the pnbiic'-BO l«g, aa the facts were carefally concealed. Be found crime an easier burden t__ he bad expected, and iv place of his old dread of crime itself he bad now adjsadcf duclesure only. If he h»d grown **:ha^-niii:wiie;, what then—fo long as noo-ttkaetfof X Up to this poiut Fate leemed'tpluTa played deliberately into his hands, ,|ie hadrnined himself in Southern eipwatio-, Fate had put more than halfataiiKoi money into his power, and he had tat-Oited his fortune. An unlucky turn of the die might have betrayed him, ahd pratjiß.tip to worse deetrnction than tbe f.fmar,.bot all came round as thongh he had tbe order ing of events. Not only was tone tot* m immediate call torthat money, noimtßedy investigation into accounts with a ciMting. of documents and au examination of affairs, but he was appointed supreme cU-UWiaa of the wbo'e property, and, for npwip of a year from the old man's Wl !*' enquiry disadvantageous to bim co~aw set on foot, Suppose the old man were- to die'awn,,. and busiuess were to keep on tbe was trous lines it had adopted of late! W- Many and many a day he put thai ques tion to himself in the mormog' before.w broke his fast; and again at night batoc. he went to bed lie repented this temble-. question- unanswered. , '~ And the more he pondered P* 1™ question the less he liked to look"»t fr* answer J>ot tbat the simple asdiogf*, answer, appalled him, for that _»•«» familiar to his mind for soma time; tte simple answer was, Rain—Self impo''4 Death. .y That was the positive answer i*,,« le • question ; but that did not affriftW" 0 now, though it had terrified him allfft He was still what might, be calleda josag' man, for he carried his five-and-forr/J*'' more easily than many another maa«jp* thirty. He was not a whit Jnaeniioww the many physical and social aaWllW he possessed. He knew he was a favcim*

STAR SATURDAY SUPPLEMENT, JUNE 9, 1883.

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