ly, as she clasped her
hands on her knees.

"I have put it off too long, supposing I had the conscience to transfer
my liabilities to some simpleton who might not draw half a dozen of the
dividends of which I have drawn scores. Besides, the thing is
impossible, as I am telling you. Between you and me, the shares are far
below par."

"What is par, Jonathan?" interrupted Mrs. Millar in a praiseworthy
attempt to understand her husband.

"Oh, bother," he cried, running his hand in mild exasperation through
his white hair; "the standard value, or the original value, whichever
you like best. I should not dare to propose to sell out at such a loss;
it would not only be to impoverish myself at once in order to avoid the
risk of greater ruin, it would draw attention. It would have a most
suspicious look, and might bring the rotten affair down about our ears
instantly, while I should get the blame of the downfall."

"But some of the large foreign investments might be realized any
day--you told me the last time you spoke of business--with the first
good turn of trade," she reminded him anxiously.

"I trust so still, and I believe old Carey is an honest man and a
perfect gentleman--that is one comfort; but I cannot help thinking he
has got into bad hands. I tell you, Maria, I don't like that
brother-in-law of his who comes down from London to attend the Redcross
meetings, and tries to blarney us all round. And I cannot approve of the
bolstering up of Carey's cousins, the Carters, in their chemical works
at Stokeleigh, which it strikes me will never do much good. It--the
bolstering up--has been going on for a long time now, to what extent I
am not prepared to show. Unfortunately I have a bad head for figures,"
he shrugged his shoulders as if anticipating a reproach, "the less
reason why I should have laid out my savings on bank shares, you will
say? No doubt, no doubt, but there had been fewer troubles with banks in
my day. When I made the first investment everything appeared right, and
the dividends announced were tempting."

"I am not finding fault with what you did, Jonathan; I never thought of
such a thing," the perturbed woman found voice to reassure her husband.
"I know you did it for the best; and for that matter, I am convinced it
will all come right in the end," she ended with a little sigh.

"It is very good and pretty of you to say so, Maria," he said with a
certain old-fashioned, stiff gallantry which, while it c