yed of
late--having to act for a friend who had been ruined by taking shares
in a bubble company formed to work a Cornish mine. Agatha had often
been doomed to listen to such historiettes. Mrs. Thornycroft had a
great fancy for putting her harmless fingers into her husband's business
matters, for which the chief apology in her friend's eyes was the good
little wife's great interest in all that concerned "my James." So Agatha
had got into a habit of listening with one ear, saying, "Yes," "No," and
"Certainly;" while she thought of other things the while. This habit she
to-day revived, and, pondered vaguely over many pleasant fancies
while hearing mistily of certain atrocities perpetrated by "City
scoundrels"--Emma was always warm in her epithets.

"The 'Company,' my dear, is a complete take-in--all sham names,
secretaries, treasurers, and even directors. The whole affair was got
up among two or three people in a lawyer's office; and who do you think
that lawyer is, Agatha?"

"I don't know," said Mrs. Harper, feeling as perfectly indifferent as if
he were the man in the moon.

"I am not sure that I ought to tell you, for James only found it out, or
rather guessed it, this morning at breakfast-time. And if the thing can
only be proved, it will go very suspiciously against the people who
have been mixed up in the affair, and especially against this Mr.
Grimes.--There, I declare I've let the cat out of the bag at last, for
all James cautioned me not!"

"Well, be content," said Agatha, awaking from a reverie as to how many
days her husband intended to stay at Kingcombe Holm, whither they were
this week going on a formal invitation, and whether the new house would
be quite ready on their return--"Be content, Emma; I really did not
catch the name."

"I'm glad of it," said the gossiping little woman--though she looked
extremely sorry. "Of course, if Major Harper had known--why, you would
have heard."

"Heard what" asked Agatha, her curiosity at last attracted by
her brother-in-law's name. But now Emma seemed wilfully bent upon
maintaining a mysterious silence.

"That's exactly what I can't tell you, my dear, except thus much--that
my husband is afraid Major Harper has been losing a good deal of money,
since more than two-thirds of the shares in Wheal Caroline were in his
name, and now the vein has failed--that is, if ever there was a vein or
a mine at all--and the other shareholders declare there has been a great
deal