as given me her order to remove all her belongings. That,
I understand, includes everything in the living portion of the premises,
and the lamp now standing on your table."

"But what am I to do? What is Harding to do? We cannot sleep on the bare
boards and eat our meals raw."

"I don't see what concern that is of mine. You requested Mrs. Eustace to
vacate these premises at once, and she is doing as you asked. It is not
for you to complain, surely?"

"It is, under the circumstances, most decidedly it is. Someone must
always be on the premises after what has occurred; but if there is
nothing on which to sleep, what can be done? Mrs. Eustace knew the
furniture belonged to her and should have said so."

"I am afraid I cannot agree with you," Gale replied. "You should have
known the furniture was hers. Your one desire, it seems to me, was to
vent on her head the wrath of the Bank at what may, or may not have
been, her husband's fault. Whether it added to the trouble she already
had did not matter to you in the slightest. But directly you find that
your spite recoils on yourself and entails some inconvenience for you,
there is a very different tale to tell. Personally I am very glad to
think you can be inconvenienced. You had better have Harding called, as
I shall be back in half an hour with my men. Oh, by the by, the servant
is engaged by Mrs. Eustace, not by the Bank. She will leave with the
furniture."

He enjoyed the look of consternation on Wallace's face. The banker could
not deceive himself. Gale held him in a cleft stick.

"But this cannot go on," he exclaimed. "Mrs. Eustace must see how
unreasonable it is. The Bank is entitled to at least a month's notice,
before the things can be removed."

"It is the Bank that gave the notice. Mrs. Eustace was told to go at
once. Well, she waived her right to demand time and said she would go at
once. Now you blame her!"

"Will she sell the furniture?"

"No, she will not."

"I shall go to Taloona and see about it."

"It will not assist you if you do. In the first place, you will not be
able to see her, and, in the second, even if you did see her, you would
only learn that the matter has been placed in my hands."

"Then, if it is in your hands, deal with it as a reasonable business
man. While Mrs. Eustace remains at Taloona she will not require the
furniture; it will be at least a couple of weeks before we can have any
sent up to serve us. How much does Mrs. Eustace