The Argosy — page 260: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

242 The Master of Greylands. maine: but the other was the accepted view. He was buried in the neighbouring churchyard, St. Mark’s: Parson Marston, who had so ofien and so recently sat at his dinner table, performing the service. Gradually the first excitement diminished. Brains and tempers calmed down. For, added td that natural depression that succeeds to undue emotion, there arose a report that things would be well, after all and everybody paid to the full. In fact, it was so. The money that had been so long waited for— the speculation that had at last turned up trumps—was pouring in its returns. Other sources of means, hitherto buried, were also in a way to be realized. In an incredibly short space of time, for poor Thomas Hill worked with a will, the affairs of the bank were in a way of settlement, every creditor to be fully satished, and the late unfortunate banker’s name to be saved. Anything there had been underhanded in his . dealing, Thomas Hill and Mr. Castlemaine contrived to keep from the public. Mr. Castlemaine was changed since his brother’s death. That death, or something else had told upon him strangely. But one creditor, whose name did not appear on the books, and who had put in no demand to be satisfied, was passed over in silence. Mary Ursula’s fortune had been hopelessly sacrificed ; and it was already known that little, if anything, would be left for her. She knew how and why her fortune had gone; Mr. Hill had explained it all to her; it had helped to save her father’s honour and good name; and had it been ten times the amount she would freely have given it for such a purpose, and been thankful that she had it to give. Seeing what it had done, she did not, as far as she herself was con- cerned, look upon it with one moment's regret. True she was now _ poor; very poor compared with the past: she would have at most but about a hundred and fifty pounds a year: but she was in too much trouble to think much of money now. One heavy weight had been lifted—the sickening dread that the creditors would lose part or all. On that one point she was now at rest. But there were other points. ‘There was the underlying current of fear that her father had not died of heart disease; there was the mysterious perplexity attending the disappearance of her cousin Anthony ; and there was her own engage- ment to Mr. Blake-Gordon. Her position was now so different from what it had: been when he proposed to her, and the severity, the pride, the arrogance of Sir Richard were so indisputable, that she feared the worst. Moreover, she knew, from the present conduct of both father and son, that she had cause to fear it. Twice, and twice only, had William Blake-Gordon come to her since her father’s death : and he might so easily have come to her every day in her desolation! Each time he had been kind and loving as-ever ; ECORNICLOOO SS (C(O) in —_)