caution you. I need not remind you that your
fortune stands or falls with ours, that your
means are bound up with ours, and that we
must all stand or fall together."

This was the letter that Mrs. Tillotson had
opened so carelessly, and dismissed as a formal
circular for the routine Foncier's meeting. This,
alas! was the letter that she had left down on
the table when she quitted the room after parting
with Ross; and this was the letter on which
Ross's furious eyes fell, the perusal of which
made him quit the room with triumph.

Late that night arrived the secretary, anxious
and feverish. Could he see Mr. Tillotson? He
had made an appointment by letter. It was
about the bank. But Mr. Tillotson was worse,
could not see any one, especially on business.
The doctor had given strict orders. Well, then,
could he see Mrs. Tillotson?

Mrs. Tillotson came down with pale and compressed
lips. She had indeed gone to her husband
shortly after Ross had left. " Now," she
said to herself, " all is at an end, happily. I
shall go through what is my duty to the very
end. Now that poor Ross is gone it will be
easier, and he will have no cause for complaint."

On the stairs she met that grim servant,
Martha Malcolm, coming down from Mr.
Tillotson's room, who gave her one of her hard
stony looks, that latterly reached almost to
disrespect. Mrs. Tillotson had now begun to
have an instinct that this woman had been
watching and spying upon her.

Mr. Tillotson was sitting in his chair, weak
and helpless; but his eyes seemed fiery, and
glared at his wife as she entered. " What is
it now?" he said. " Do you wish for anything?"

"Nothing," she answered, calmly. " I came to
see how you were, and to read to you."

He almost laughed. " To read to me? I do
not deserve all this devotion. No, indeed.
How am I? You can see I am as well or as ill
as people can desire. You can take back that
news, my dear, to those who will be most
concerned to hear it. I shall be ill very, very long,
I fear, and so shall tax your patience; but it
must end, you know, eventually. But then an
illness and seclusion has its advantages for
others. Yet I shall make an effort to-morrow,
and get up and go about and look after my own
house. Yes, I shall, if I am to die in the attempt,
since there are those so cruel, and heartless,
and deceptive, as to take advantage of my
miserable state. Go away, as a favour, do.
Leave me now, please. I begin to talk so oddly.
But I am tired, and want rest."

In terror, but with sympathy in her face, she
went up to him to soothe him. He half rose as
she came near. " Don't, don't," he said. " I
don't ask it from you. Keep it for others. Go,
go now, as a favour."

He grew so agitated, that, with a sigh, she
went away softly. Listening a moment at the
door, she heard him groaning in an agony of
mind. " My God," he said, " what are we to
do?" Going down, she heard of the bank secretary
being below, and saw him.

That gentleman was cautious but very pressing.
She was equally firm. Mr. Tillotson
could not see any one that night. It was as
much as his life was worth. The secretary said
that the occasion was pressing and serious, and
that it was all-important for Mr. Tillotson's own
sake. But she was not to be moved. In the
morning, then? It was agreed finally that the
secretary should come the first thing in the
morning, and "then I must really see him, Mrs.
Tillotson, or the matter will be serious. I
don't like hinting more, even to you."

But in the morning, Mr. Tillotson, having had
a wretched tossing night, was infinitely worse.
The Queen's physician had been sent for, and
had said, " What's all this? I hope you have
kept him quiet, and away from anything to
disturb his mind?" and his eye settled a little
coldly on that " fine woman," Mrs. Tillotson,
whom he had several times " had his eye on"
when he found Ross lounging insolently about
the drawing-room. The bank secretary arrived
early, saw the doctor's carriage, and was told the
state of the case.

"What is to be done, then, Mrs. Tillotson?"
said he. "I may as well tell you now. There is
something wrong in our bank. We have been
half the night going through the books, and I
can only say, that unless we can obtain a very
large sum before a few days, and if a breath gets
abroad, we may as well close the doors."

She started. "Can this be true?"

"I wrote him all this yesterday," said the
secretary. " Of course you saw it?"

"Never," she said. " Yes, there was some
letter came from the bank, but I thought it was
one of the circulars——"

"He should have seen it at once," said the
secretary, impatiently. " I hope it has not been
left about. If so much as a whisper got
abroad, there would come a rush, and we should
be undone. Only a few days' time, and a sum
of money to ease present liabilities and anticipate
the crash of that miserable Roofing Company,
and we are safe."

She ran to the drawing-room to find the letter,
but she searched in vain. It was gone. It was
indeed far away from that house. The very
night that it had been taken away it was read
by other eyes. Ross had once, with his friend
Grainger, done some business with the rival
bank. They had seen the secretary, and been
loud in abuse of the Foncier, a strain never
unwelcome to the ears of that officer. This had
led to a sort of acquaintance; and Ross on this
night, talking aloud to himself, exultant, jubilant,
had hurried along to that secretary's house, had
seen him, and been made welcome.

With the morning the fatal news was abroad.
The rival secretary had dined out the night
before at a financial dinner-party, and had there,
with much mystery and complacency, insinuated
his news. Such financial secrets are never told
out like vulgar news; they are put in the shape
of shrugs and hints. " Bad business, this. You
have heard what's going the round, of course.
Worst authority, of course. But, putting two and