rything
was ready, the Count and his family, accompanied by Mary, now stepped
into the carriage and drove off. Here for a time we will leave Mary and
follow the fortunes of the occupants of Pine Farm.

CHAPTER XIX.

RETRIBUTION.

In course of time, when arrangements had been made for their reception,
a carriage was sent from Eichbourg to bring away the old farmer and his
wife. Their son was grieved to the heart when the time came for them to
go, but their daughter-in-law had counted the days and hours until the
time of their departure, and felt nothing but vindictive pleasure at
being rid of them. Her joy, however, received a severe check from a
note which the coachman presented to her, in which the Count informed
her that she and her husband should pay all that had been stipulated
for the support of her father and mother-in-law; and that the price of
their living valued in money, according to the current market price,
should be paid to them every quarter. Realising her helplessness, she
became violently angry and turned round to her husband, saying, "We are
over-reached. If they had stayed here, it would not have cost us half
as much." Her husband was secretly pleased to think that he was still
permitted to help his parents in their old age, but he took good care
not to show his joy before his wife.

The old people set off in the carriage the next morning, followed by
the blessings of their son and the secret ill-wishes of their
daughter-in-law.

But the unnatural conduct of this wicked woman was visited with the
trouble which is always the lot of avarice and inhumanity. Her
secretly-cherished god was gold, and she had lent the bulk of her money
to a merchant to use in his business, on his promise to pay her a large
interest for the loan. Her greatest pleasure was in making
calculations, as to how much her money would amount to after a certain
number of years, with all the interest and compound interest added.
Suddenly, however, these golden dreams received a rude awakening. The
manufacturer's speculations proved unfortunate, and he shortly
afterwards failed in business, and his goods were sold by order of the
sheriff.

The news came as a thunder-stroke for the farmer's wife, and from the
moment that she heard of the catastrophe she had no repose. Every day
she kept running to the lawyers, or to her neighbours to complain of
her hard lot, and the nights she spent in weeping and scolding her
husband. Fr