d somewhat paler, but said, though with manifest
effort--

"They are perfectly safe, Mr. Brander, as safe as a bank."

"No doubt, no doubt, Mr. Cumming, but you know all banks are not
perfectly safe. Well, I dare say you can manage that for me."

"Certainly, there can be no difficulty whatever about it. I have ten or
twelve other transfers, and there will doubtless be some more before
next board meeting. The affixing the stamp is a purely mechanical
business."

After the lawyer had left Mr. Cumming sat for some time passing his hand
nervously over his chin.

"Brander evidently has an idea that all is not right," he thought to
himself. "Of course he cannot know how things really stand or he would
never have let Hartington take shares. It is a curious transaction
altogether, and I cannot make head nor tail of it. However, that is no
business of mine. I will cash the check at once and send the money to
town with the rest; if Mildrake can hold on we may tide matters over for
the present; if not there will be a crash. However, he promised to send
me forty-eight hours' notice, and that will be enough for me to arrange
matters and get off."

Returning to his office the lawyer found his gig waiting at the door,
and at once drove over to Fairclose, Mr. Hartington's place.

"I am grieved, indeed, to hear the news Edwards brought me this
morning," he said, as he entered the room where the Squire was sitting.

"Yes, it is rather sudden, Brander, but a little sooner or a little
later does not make much difference after all. Edwards told you, of
course, that I want nothing said about it."

"That is so."

"Nothing would annoy me more than to have any fuss. I shall just go on
as I have before, except that I shall give up hunting; it is just the
end of the season, and there will be but two or three more meets. I
shall drive to them and have a chat with my friends and see the hounds
throw off. I shall give out that I strained myself a bit the last time I
was out, and must give up riding for a time. Have you brought my will
over with you?"

"Yes, I thought you might want to add something to it."

"That is right, there are two or three small legacies I have thought of;
there is a list of them."

Mr. Brander took out the will and added a codicil. The legacies were
small ones of ten or twenty pounds to various old people in the village,
and the work occupied but a few minutes. The housekeeper and one of the
men were called u