ousin was bought off, his consent
given, and the Dormers retired to a smaller place, properly the dower
house--Hingston Hall, situated fifteen miles from Catsford. Behold
Nicholas Driver a country gentleman on a distinctly large scale!

"And with how much ready money to his name besides you'll get some idea
about when the will is proved," Mr. Cartmell ended impressively.

His impressiveness impressed me; I do not know why I should be ashamed
to confess it. A great deal of anything impresses ordinary people; a
great deal of hill is a mountain, a great deal of water is an ocean, a
great deal of brain is a genius; and so on. Similarly, a great deal of
money has its grandeur--for ordinary people.

"It might be a million and a half--a million and a half sovereigns,
Austin!--and it's growing every night while you sleep! And now--he's
dead!"

"You do die just the same--that's the worst of it."

"And not an old man either!"

"Sixty-three!"

"Tut--I shall be that myself in three years--and you can't tire me yet!"

"Perhaps making millions and driving wedges is--rather exhausting,
Cartmell. You split the tree; don't you blunt the wedge in time, too?"

"The end came easy, did it?"

"Oh, yes, in his sleep. So the nurse tells me. I wasn't there myself."

"I'm glad it was easy. After all, he was a very old friend of mine--and
a very valuable client. Let's see, how long have you been with him?"

"Four years."

"Going to stay?"

I rose and began to brush my hat. "If you come to that," said I, "are
you going to stay either, Cartmell? I gather that she can do as she
pleases about that?"

"Every rod of ground and every farthing of money--bating decent
charities! It's a great position."

"It's a very unexplored one so far as we're concerned," I made bold to
remark.

"Have you seen him since--since the end, Austin?"

"Yes. Would you like to?"

"No, I shouldn't," he answered bluntly. "Perhaps it's brutal. I know
it's cowardly. But I don't like death."

"Nonsense! You make half your income out of it. I say, I suppose we
might as well start?"

"Yes," he assented absently. "I wonder how she's turned out!"

I looked at him with quickened interest. "Turned out? That sounds almost
as if you'd seen her."

"I have seen her. Come along. I'll tell you about it as we drive down."

We traversed the long corridor which leads from my office to the hall.
Loft was waiting for us, with an attendant footman. Loft addressed me in