but because Mr
Oswald needed him, and he chose to give his services to him.

For there were signs of coming trouble to the Oswalds. It began to be
whispered in the town that the affairs of Mr Oswald were not in a
prosperous condition, and that the resignation of his position in the
bank had not been voluntary on his part, but demanded of him by those
who were responsible for the successful carrying on of its affairs. Not
that anything had gone wrong as yet, but he was extensively engaged in
other business, and had other interests. He had to do with the
quarries, and with lumbering affairs, and he had had something to do
with the building of a railway, and had not prospered in all these
things; and it could not be doubted that trouble was before him.

There had been some anxiety lest David's place in the bank might not be
permanent in the midst of so many changes, but no change was made in his
case, and except that his work was somewhat different, and that more
responsibility rested on him with regard to some matters, all went on as
before. He missed Mr Oswald's face in the inner office, and he greatly
missed the comings and goings of Mr Caldwell; but all went on in the
bank with the same system and order as it had ever done.

But troubles were thickening around the Oswalds. Mrs Mavor was ill and
Selina was sent for to be with her. Mr Philip lost his situation in
M--, and came home. Rumours had reached David, before this time, that
his manner of life had not been satisfactory to his employers or to his
friends, and Jem had heard more than David about him. Except to their
mother, neither of them had spoken of this, but no one seemed surprised
at his return.

Before his return, Mr Oswald had been taken very ill, and his inability
to attend to his business involved it in difficulties, which threatened
to hasten the unhappy crisis, which even Mr Caldwell acknowledged must
have come sooner or later on him. There was trouble in the house, it
may well be supposed. Violet had many cares, for Miss Oswald was
entirely occupied with her brother in his illness, and Frank devoted
himself to his father in a way that was a help and a comfort to them
all.

As for Mr Philip, it was very difficult to believe that it could have
come to this pass with his father. It seemed impossible to him that,
after so many years of successful business-life, his father should be in
danger of being left penniless; and he insisted to Frank