d as we might not find time after coming
home, if you don't mind it I'll do it now."

Of course Margaret said that she did not mind it, though in truth she
did mind it, and was afraid of her aunt.

"Well then, Margaret, look here. I want to know something about your
brother's affairs. From what I have heard, I fear they were not very
good."

"They were very bad, aunt,--very bad indeed."

"Dear, dear; you don't say so. Sir John always feared that it would
be so when Thomas Mackenzie mixed himself up with those Rubbs. And
there has gone half of Jonathan Ball's money,--money which Sir John
made! Well, well!"

Miss Mackenzie had nothing to say to this; and as she had nothing to
say to it she sat silent, making no attempt at any words.

"It does seem hard; don't it, my dear?"

"It wouldn't make any difference to anybody now--to my uncle, I mean,
or to John, if the money was not gone."

"That's quite true; quite true; only it does seem to be a pity.
However, that half of Jonathan's money which you have got, is not
lost, and there's some comfort in that."

Miss Mackenzie was not called upon to make any answer to this; for
although she had lost a large sum of money by lending it to her
brother, nevertheless she was still possessed of a larger sum of
money than that which her brother Walter had received from Jonathan
Ball.

"And what are they going to do, my dear--the children, I mean, and
the widow? I suppose there'll be something for them out of the
business?"

"I don't think there'll be anything, aunt. As far as I can understand
there will be nothing certain. They may probably get a hundred and
twenty-five pounds a-year." This she named, as being the interest of
the money she had lent--or given.

"A hundred and twenty-five pounds a-year. That isn't much, but it
will keep them from absolute want."

"Would it, aunt?"

"Oh, yes; at least, I suppose so. I hope she's a good manager. She
ought to be, for she's a very disagreeable woman. You told me that
yourself, you know."

Then Miss Mackenzie, having considered for one moment, resolved to
make a clean breast of it all, and this she did with the fewest
possible words.

"I'm going to divide what I've got with them, and I hope it will make
them comfortable."

"What!" exclaimed her aunt.

"I'm going to give Sarah half what I've got, for her and her
children. I shall have enough to live on left."

"Margaret, you don't mean it?"

"Not mean it? why not, aun