s the mother's pride and the father's pleasure that not one face
should be missing--that, summer and winter, all should assemble for an
hour of family fun and family chat, before the busy cares of the day;
and by general consent, which had grown into habit, every one tried to
keep unclouded this little bit of early sunshine, before the father and
brothers went away. No sour or dreary looks, no painful topics, were
ever brought to the breakfast-table.

Thus it was against all custom when Mr. Halifax, laying down his paper
with a grave countenance, said:

"This is very ill news. Ten Bank failures in the Gazette to-day."

"But it will not harm us, father."

"Edwin is always thinking of 'us,' and 'our business,'" remarked Guy,
rather sharply. It was one of the slight--the very slight--jars in our
household, that these two lads, excellent lads both, as they grew into
manhood did not exactly "pull together."

"Edwin is scarcely wrong in thinking of 'us,' since upon us depend so
many," observed the father, in that quiet tone with which, when he did
happen to interfere between his sons, he generally smoothed matters
down and kept the balance even. "Yet though we are ourselves secure, I
trust the losses everywhere around us make it the more necessary that
we should not parade our good fortune by launching out into any of
Guy's magnificences--eh, my boy?"

The youth looked down. It was well known in the family that since we
came to Beechwood his pleasure-loving temperament had wanted all sorts
of improvements on our style of living--fox-hounds, dinner-parties,
balls; that the father's ways, which, though extended to liberal
hospitalities, forbade outward show, and made our life a thorough
family life still--were somewhat distasteful to that most fascinating
young gentleman, Guy Halifax, Esquire, heir of Beechwood Hall.

"You may call it 'magnificence,' or what you choose; but I know I
should like to live a little more as our neighbours do. And I think we
ought too--we that are known to be the wealthiest family--"

He stopped abruptly--for the door opened; and Guy had too much good
taste and good feeling to discuss our riches before Maud's poor
governess--the tall, grave, sad-looking, sad-clothed Miss Silver; the
same whom John had seen at Mr. Jessop's bank; and who had been with us
four months--ever since we came to Beechwood.

One of the boys rose and offered her a chair; for the parents set the
example of treati