as before to meet his friends without his health being a subject
of discussion, and in all ways to go on as usual until the call came.
His death was evidently painless; he sat down in his easy arm-chair
after lunch for his usual half-hour's nap, and evidently expired in his
sleep. The servant found him, as he believed, still asleep when he came
in to tell him that the carriage was at the door, and it was only on
touching him he discovered what had happened. They sent the carriage off
at once to fetch Dr. Edwards. He looked in at my office and took me over
with him, and I got back in time to write to you."

The shock that the Squire's sudden death caused in Abchester, was, a
fortnight later, obliterated by the still greater sensation caused by
the news that the bank had put up its shutters. The dismay excited
thereby was heightened when it became known that the manager had
disappeared, and reports got about that the losses of the bank had been
enormous. The first investigation into its affairs more than confirmed
the worst rumors. For years it had been engaged in propping up the firm
not only of Mildrake and Co., which had failed to meet its engagements
on the day preceding the announcement of the bank's failure, but of
three others which had broken down immediately afterwards. In all of
these firms Mr. Cumming was found to have had a large interest.

On the day after the announcement of the failure of the bank, Mr.
Brander drove up to Fairclose. He looked excited and anxious when he
went into the room where Cuthbert was sitting, listlessly, with a book
before him.

"I have a piece of very bad news to tell you, Mr. Hartington," he said.

"Indeed?" Cuthbert said, without any very great interest in his voice.

"Yes; I daresay you heard yesterday of the failure of the bank?"

"Dr. Edwards looked in here as he was driving past to tell me of it. Had
we any money in it?"

"I wish that was all, it is much worse than that, sir. Your father was a
shareholder in the bank."

"He never mentioned it to me," Cuthbert said, his air of indifference
still unchanged.

"He only bought shares a comparatively short time ago, I think it was
after you were here the last time. There were some vague rumors afloat
as to the credit of the bank, and your father, who did not believe them,
took a few shares as a proof of his confidence in it, thinking, he said,
that the fact that he did so might allay any feeling of uneasiness."

"I wonder