avings of the poor, the estates of widows and orphans; they had winked
at investments of the most precarious kind; they had paid a high rate of
interest, exacting a higher, which had been gladly given for a brief
while. Safe principles of finance had been quite ignored: the new era
was different from any thing that had ever happened to the world before,
and required new men, and now they would have to go back to the old way.
Surely there is not much that is new under the sun!

To bring back the Eastmans, and try them for their crimes, seemed hardly
worth while. More than one man in Yerbury felt that it was safer to
berate them at a distance, than meet their damaging retorts face to
face. They could not get back any money. Hope Mills was ruined beyond a
peradventure, and the affairs of the bank were best wound up as speedily
as possible. There could be no large stealings for a receiver,
consequently no occasion for delay. The sooner the wrecks and _debris_
were cleared away, the quicker the moral atmosphere would be purified.
There are wounds for which the instant cautery means life, the careful
hesitation death.

And now every one looked at the exploded bubble in surprise, and cried
angrily, "What has become of the money? Yesterday we were rich: where
has it gone to? Six months ago we had twenty per cent dividend: why are
these stocks worthless now? Why have railroads and shops and mills
ceased to pay? What sudden blight has fallen over the world?"

Alas! There had been no money. Sanguine credit had traded on the honor
and faith and nobleness of man toward man, and, behold, it had all been
selfishness and falsehood and dishonor. Truth and virtue had been
scorned and flouted in the highway, because forsooth there was a more
brilliant semblance. Like a garment had men wrapped themselves in it,
and now it was but rags and tatters.

There could be nothing extracted from the wreck of Hope Mills. Indeed,
Fred would have given up a rich inheritance to save his father's honor,
had it been his. To go on at Hope Terrace was madness. The fires and the
servants would cost enough to maintain a family. Mrs. Minor and Fred
quarrelled because Mrs. Lawrence had been persuaded to mortgage the
place: she simply groaned and moaned, and wondered why they must worry
her about every thing!

"I hope Irene will have the good sense to marry abroad," said Mrs.
Minor. "And, Fred, what a pity you haven't a profession! What can you
do?"

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