't been a drop of it in the house
for six months) "an' if--"

"Well, then, that old Brown Sherry--get a fresh bottle, Todd--" St.
George was quite honest, and so, for that matter, was Todd: the Brown
Sherry had also seen its day.

"Yes, sah--but how would dat fine ol' peach brandy de jedge gin ye do?
It's sp'ilin' to be tasted, sah." Both eyes were now in eclipse in
the effort to apprise his master that with the exception of some badly
corked Madeira, Tom Coston's peach brandy was about the only beverage
left in the cellar.

"Well, the old peach brandy, then--get it at once and serve it in the
large glasses."

CHAPTER XXII

St. George had now reached the last stage of his poverty. The selling or
pawning of the few valuables left him had been consummated and with the
greatest delicacy, so as best to spare his feelings. That he had been
assisted by hitherto unknown friends who had sacrificed their own
balances in his behalf, added temporarily to his comforts but did not
lessen the gravity of the present situation. The fact remained that with
the exception of a few possible assets he was practically penniless.
Every old debt that could be collected--and Gadgem had been a scourge
and a flaming sword as the weeks went on in their gathering--had been
rounded up. Even his minor interests in two small ground rents had,
thanks to Pawson, been cashed some years in advance. His available
resources were now represented by some guns, old books, bridles, another
saddle, his rare Chinese punch-bowl and its teakwood stand, and a few
remaining odds and ends.

He could hope for no payment from the Patapsco--certainly not for some
years; nor could he raise money even on these hopes, the general opinion
being that despite the efforts of John Gorsuch, Rutter, and Harding to
punish the guilty and resuscitate the innocent, the bank would finally
collapse without a cent being paid the depositors. As for that old
family suit, it had been in the courts for forty-odd years and it was
likely to be there forty-odd years more before a penny would be realized
from the settlement.

Had he been differently constructed--he a man with scores and scores of
friends, many of whom would gladly have helped him--he might have made
his wants known; but such was not his make-up. The men to whom he
could apply--men like Horn, the archdeacon, Murdoch, and one or two
others--had no money of their own to spare, and as for wealthier
men--men like