The Weird Sisters, Volume I (of 3)

n an excursion to meet victory; his retu

into thin air. Nothing adverse to him would be in the will, and not only that, but from the day of Sir Alexander's death until the coming of age of Miss M

it during the twelve months; but the St. George's Bank was gone, and deposits would come flowing in, and having obliged his London agents in their need, they could not refuse him anything in reason by-and-

ight fresh air towards Daneford; "and by the time there is another dissolution, w

ew to making his will, and how the client, although in no immediate danger of death, was nevertheless in a st

the 4th of June, 1866, the will was signed by Sir Alexander in the presence of two competent

rwards Mr. Gray

of his easiest smiles, "did you do

municative, and he held in rigid regard all professional etiquette; but Mr. Henry Walter Grey was a very exceptional man, and, moreover, the testator had told him Mr. Grey had consented to act as guardian

know, our establishment has been a long time connected with the Castle, and w

avy respon

ce in words, but with a shrug of his shoulders, as much as to say: "We

n made, but also that under it he had been appointed executor and t

e require to put

ous. The gloom over the financial world deepened instead of lifting. The ordinary depositors grew

assailable; still its business showed no vast increase, no such increase as would help Grey out of

customers began to feel the pressure of the times. Instead of findin

, and begged for advances. If the name and fame of the Bank were to be magnified, this was the time to do it. He had still f

ried passengers between Daneford and Seacliff. The Weeslade Valley Bank refused. The Steamship Company withdrew their account from the Valley Bank, and offered their business to the Daneford Bank. The account was opene

thousand pounds, besides losses by delay in getting a dividend. This was very serious. It caused a run

nk issued a circular which took the town by sto

, 28th Ju

anefor

e offices of that Bank will be opened every morning at eight instead of nine,

Walte

his boldness and wisdom. This circular killed the panic, and on Saturday of the same week the drawings had shrunk b

he Bank, saying that as the run had ceased for a week the offic

s way back again, and that was decidedly bad. The Bank was not in the least jeopardy. Sir Alexander Midharst's half a m

could detect in his face or manner a clue to the anxiety which consumed him. Still he was the sam

to him because he was in funds and could give accommodation beyond the power of his local rival. He admitted the

ion and his great prudence and good sense. He told her the money from Boston had not only saved him, but had so im

upon him, and difficult as he felt the burden,

e man whose money he had appropriated to his own use not only felt no misgivings as to the safety of his vast hoard, but had recently lavish

lties to endure. He still entertained his friends with his usual hospitality and good grace, b

still more unfortunately, the terrible infirmity to wh

arely went out. Her husband was always kind in manner towards her, and she could ask for nothing he would n

ly had luncheon by herself, except upon the rare occasi

often he gave parties. All this caused Mrs. Grey to be much by herse

oncealed from the servants. At first Grey had tried to effect a cure; t

urnished in the Tower. For this cupboard he got two keys-one for him

ave the trouble of sending to the cellar for it, or in case I am out and you want more than is dec

an is decanted-so few people c

room itself; there is only one other key, and I have that. The room is the quietest in the whole house. The door locks on either the in or the outside. The room is comfortably done

nce borne this woman had died; and although he carefully concealed his

me he had committed, but she was one of the elements in his misfortune; and now that she had fallen into an odious fa

t then, so long as Daneford knew nothing of the decay of that romance or the decline

facts were carefully concealed. He found crime an easier burden than he had expected, and in place of his old dread of cr

the die might have betrayed him, and given him up to worse destruction than the former, but all came round as though he had the ordering of events. Not only was there to be no immediate call for that money, no immediate investigation into

d business were to keep on the disastrou

t t

orning before he broke his fast; and again at night before h

swer. Not that the simple and direct answer appalled him, for that had been fam

stion; but that did not affright him no

another man carried thirty. He was not a whit insensible to the many physical and social personal advantages

he was

ad been everything to her, and how poorly had she requited him! It was only by t

e his friend still further? Was it too much to hope

danger and difficulties, if he had o

Maud. She knew nothing of the world, and he knew she liked him

Fate should take away that unloved wife, that great danger to his na

hould marry Maud, and so wipe

he might call it, take away from him this woman who was a curse a

ssailed and tempted him in tremendous tones; that day on which the fate of the steamboat Rodwell and