for breaking through the barrier which
separated him from Kate. The surveillance of the merchant had become
stricter of late, and all invitations from Mrs. Dimsdale or other
friends who pitied the loneliness of the girl were repulsed by
Girdlestone with the curt intimation that his ward's health was not such
as to justify him in allowing her to incur any risk of catching a chill.
She was practically a prisoner in the great stone cage in Eccleston
Square, and even on her walks a warder in the shape of a footman was, as
we have seen, told off to guard her. Whatever John Girdlestone's
reasons may have been, he had evidently come to the conclusion that it
was of the highest importance that she should be kept secluded.

As it was, Tom, thanks to his position as one of the firm, was able
occasionally, in spite of every precaution to penetrate through the old
man's defensive works. If a question of importance arose at Fenchurch
Street during the absence of the senior partner, what more natural than
that Mr. Dimsdale should volunteer to walk round to Eccleston Square in
order to acquaint him with the fact. And if it happened that the
gentleman was not to be found there, how very natural that the young man
should wait half an hour for him, and that Miss Harston should take the
opportunity of a chat with an old friend? Precious, precious interviews
those, the more so for their rarity. They brightened the dull routine
of Kate's weary life and sent Tom back to the office full of spirit and
hope. The days were at hand when the memory of them was to shine out
like little rifts of light in the dark cloud of existence.

And now the time was coming when it was to be decided whether, by a last
bold stroke, the credit of the House of Girdlestone was to be saved, or
whether the attempt was to plunge them into deeper and more hopeless
ruin. An unscrupulous agent named Langworthy had, as already indicated,
been despatched to Russia well primed with instructions as to what to do
and how to do it. He had been in the employ of an English corn merchant
at Odessa, and had some knowledge of the Russian language which would be
invaluable to him in his undertaking. In the character of an English
gentleman of scientific tastes he was to establish himself in some
convenient village among the Ural Mountains. There he was to remain
some little time, so as to arouse confidence in the people before making
his pretended discovery. He was then