's death, everybody was
to know that the property was gone out of the family? The human mind has at no
period accepted a moral chaos; and so preposterous a result was not strictly
conceivable. But we are frightened at much that is not strictly conceivable.
    When Fred came in the old man eyed him with a peculiar twinkle, which the
younger had often had reason to interpret as pride in the satisfactory details
of his appearance.
    »You two misses go away,« said Mr. Featherstone. »I want to speak to Fred.«
    »Come into my room, Rosamond, you will not mind the cold for a little
while,« said Mary. The two girls had not only known each other in childhood, but
had been at the same provincial school together (Mary as an articled pupil), so
that they had many memories in common, and liked very well to talk in private.
Indeed, this tête-à-tête was one of Rosamond's objects in coming to Stone Court.
    Old Featherstone would not begin the dialogue till the door had been closed.
He continued to look at Fred with the same twinkle and with one of his habitual
grimaces, alternately screwing and widening his mouth; and when he spoke, it was
in a low tone, which might be taken for that of an informer ready to be bought
off, rather than for the tone of an offended senior. He was not a man to feel
any strong moral indignation even on account of trespasses against himself. It
was natural that others should want to get an advantage over him, but then, he
was a little too cunning for them.
    »So, sir, you've been paying ten per cent for money which you've promised to
pay off by mortgaging my land when I'm dead and gone, eh? You put my life at a
twelvemonth, say. But I can alter my will yet.«
    Fred blushed. He had not borrowed money in that way, for excellent reasons.
But he was conscious of having spoken with some confidence (perhaps with more
than he exactly remembered) about his prospect of getting Featherstone's land as
a future means of paying present debts.
    »I don't know what you refer to, sir. I have certainly never borrowed any
money on such an insecurity. Please to explain.«
    »No, sir, it's you must explain. I can alter my will yet, let me tell you.
I'm of sound mind - can reckon compound interest in my head, and remember every