So by the cleverness of two girls a dark cloud wasthinned away and turned into sunshine. Over one of them,alas, another cloud was gathering, which could not be soeasily dispersed. Of these three households which fatehad thrown together, two had already been united by tiesof love. It was destined, however, that a bond ofanother sort should connect the Westmacotts with the HayDenvers.

Between the Admiral and the widow a very cordialfeeling had existed since the day when the old seaman hadhauled down his flag and changed his opinions; grantingto the yachts-woman all that he had refused to thereformer. His own frank and downright nature respectedthe same qualities in his neighbor, and a friendshipsprang up between them which was more like that whichexists between two men, founded upon esteem and acommunity of tastes.

"By the way, Admiral," said Mrs. Westmacott onemorning, as they walked together down to the station, "Iunderstand that this boy of yours in the intervals ofpaying his devotions to Miss Walker is doing somethingupon 'Change."

"Yes, ma'am, and there is no man of his age who isdoing so well. He's drawing ahead, I can tell you,ma'am. Some of those that started with him are hull downastarn now. He touched his five hundred last year, andbefore he's thirty he'll be making the four figures."

"The reason I asked is that I have small investmentsto make myself from time to time, and my present brokeris a rascal. I should be very glad to do it through yourson."

"It is very kind of you, ma'am. His partner is awayon a holiday, and Harold would like to push on a bit andshow what he can do. You know the poop isn't bigenough to hold the lieutenant when the skipper's onshore."

"I suppose he charges the usual half per cent?"

"Don't know, I'm sure, ma'am. I'll swear that hedoes what is right and proper."

"That is what I usually pay--ten shillings in thehundred pounds. If you see him before I do just ask himto get me five thousand in New Zealands. It is at fourjust now, and I fancy it may rise."

"Five thousand!" exclaimed the Admiral, reckoning itin his own mind. "Lemme see! That's twenty-five poundscommission. A nice day's work, upon my word. It is avery handsome order, ma'am."

"Well, I must pay some one, and why not him?"

"I'll tell him, and I'm sure he'll lose no time."

"Oh, there is no great hurry. By the way, Iunderstand from what you said just now that he has apartner."

"Yes, my boy is the junior partner. Pearson is thesenior. I was introduced to him years ago, and heoffered Harold the opening. Of course we had a prettystiff premium to pay."

Mrs. Westmacott had stopped, and was standing verystiffly with her Red Indian face even grimmer than usual.

"Pearson?" said she. "Jeremiah Pearson?"

"The same."

"Then it's all off," she cried. "You need not carryout that investment."

"Very well, ma'am."

They walked on together side by side, she broodingover some thought of her own, and he a little crossed anddisappointed at her caprice and the lost commission forHarold.

"I tell you what, Admiral," she exclaimed suddenly,"if I were you I should get your boy out of thispartnership."

"But why, madam?"

"Because he is tied to one of the deepest, slyestfoxes in the whole city of London."

"Jeremiah Pearson, ma'am? What can you know of him? He bears a good name."

"No one in this world knows Jeremiah Pearson as Iknow him, Admiral. I warn you because I have a friendlyfeeling both for you and for your son. The man is arogue and you had best avoid him."

"But these are only words, ma'am. Do you tell methat you know him better than the brokers and jobbers inthe City?"

"Man," cried Mrs. Westmacott, "will you allow that Iknow him when I tell you that my maiden name was AdaPearson, and that Jeremiah is my only brother?"

The Admiral whistled. "Whew! " cried he. "Now thatI think of it, there is a likeness."

"He is a man of iron, Admiral--a man without aheart. I should shock you if I were to tell you what Ihave endured from my brother. My father's wealth wasdivided equally between us. His own share he ran throughin five years, and he has tried since then by every trickof a cunning, low-minded man, by base cajolery, by legalquibbles, by brutal intimidation, to juggle me out of myshare as well. There is no villainy of which the man isnot capable. Oh, I know my brother Jeremiah. I know himand I am prepared for him."

"This is all new to me, ma'am. 'Pon my word, Ihardly know what to say to it. I thank you for havingspoken so plainly. From what you say, this is a poorsort of consort for a man to sail with. Perhaps Haroldwould do well to cut himself adrift."

"Without losing a day."

"Well, we shall talk it over. You may be sure ofthat. But here we are at the station, so I will just seeyou into your carriage and then home to see what my wifesays to the matter."

As he trudged homewards, thoughtful and perplexed, hewas surprised to hear a shout behind him, and to seeHarold running down the road after him.

"Why, dad," he cried, "I have just come from town,and the first thing I saw was your back as you marchedaway. But you are such a quick walker that I had torun to catch you."

The Admiral's smile of pleasure had broken his sternface into a thousand wrinkles. "You are early to-day,"said he.

"Yes, I wanted to consult you."

"Nothing wrong?"

"Oh no, only an inconvenience."

"What is it, then?"

"How much have we in our private account?"

"Pretty fair. Some eight hundred, I think."

"Oh, half that will be ample. It was ratherthoughtless of Pearson."

"What then?"

"Well, you see, dad, when he went away upon thislittle holiday to Havre he left me to pay accounts and soon. He told me that there was enough at the bank for allclaims. I had occasion on Tuesday to pay away twocheques, one for L80, and the other for L120, and herethey are returned with a bank notice that we have alreadyoverdrawn to the extent of some hundreds."

The Admiral looked very grave. "What's the meaningof that, then?" he asked.

"Oh, it can easily be set right. You see Pearsoninvests all the spare capital and keeps as small a marginas possible at the bank. Still it was too bad for him toallow me even to run a risk of having a cheque returned. I have written to him and demanded his authority tosell out some stock, and I have written an explanation tothese people. In the meantime, however, I have had toissue several cheques; so I had better transfer part ofour private account to meet them."

"Quite so, my boy. All that's mine is yours. Butwho do you think this Pearson is? He is Mrs.Westmacott's brother."

"Really. What a singular thing! Well, I can see alikeness now that you mention it. They have both thesame hard type of face."

"She has been warning me against him--says he is therankest pirate in London. I hope that it is all right,boy, and that we may not find ourselves in broken water."

Harold had turned a little pale as he heard Mrs.Westmacott's opinion of his senior partner. It gaveshape and substance to certain vague fears and suspicionsof his own which had been pushed back as often as theyobtruded themselves as being too monstrous and fantasticfor belief.

"He is a well-known man in the City, dad," said he.

"Of course he is--of course he is. That is what Itold her. They would have found him out there ifanything had been amiss with him. Bless you, there'snothing so bitter as a family quarrel. Still it is justas well that you have written about this affair, forwe may as well have all fair and aboveboard."

But Harold's letter to his partner was crossed by aletter from his partner to Harold. It lay awaiting himupon the breakfast table next morning, and it sent theheart into his mouth as he read it, and caused him tospring up from his chair with a white face and staringeyes.

"My boy! My boy!"

"I am ruined, mother--ruined!" He stood gazingwildly in front of him, while the sheet of paperfluttered down on the carpet. Then he dropped back intothe chair, and sank his face into his hands. His motherhad her arms round him in an instant, while the Admiral,with shaking fingers, picked up the letter from the floorand adjusted his glasses to read it.

"My DEAR DENVER," it ran. "By the time that thisreaches you I shall be out of the reach of yourself or ofany one else who may desire an interview. You need notsearch for me, for I assure you that this letter isposted by a friend, and that you will have your troublein vain if you try to find me. I am sorry to leave youin such a tight place, but one or other of us must besqueezed, and on the whole I prefer that it should beyou. You'll find nothing in the bank, and about L13,000unaccounted for. I'm not sure that the best thing youcan do is not to realize what you can, and imitateyour senior's example. If you act at once you may getclean away. If not, it's not only that you must put upyour shutters, but I am afraid that this missing moneycould hardly be included as an ordinary debt, and ofcourse you are legally responsible for it just as much asI am. Take a friend's advice and get to America. Ayoung man with brains can always do something out there,and you can live down this little mischance. It will bea cheap lesson if it teaches you to take nothing upontrust in business, and to insist upon knowing exactlywhat your partner is doing, however senior he may be toyou.

"Yours faithfully,

"JEREMIAH PEARSON."

"Great Heavens!" groaned the Admiral, "he hasabsconded."

"And left me both a bankrupt and a thief."

"No, no, Harold," sobbed his mother. "All will beright. What matter about money!"

"Money, mother! It is my honor."

"The boy is right. It is his honor, and my honor,for his is mine. This is a sore trouble, mother, when wethought our life's troubles were all behind us, but wewill bear it as we have borne others." He held out hisstringy hand, and the two old folk sat with bowedgrey heads, their fingers intertwined, strong ineach other's love and sympathy.

"We were too happy," she sighed.

"But it is God's will, mother."

"Yes, John, it is God's will."

"And yet it is bitter to bear. I could have lostall, the house, money, rank--I could have borne it. Butat my age--my honor--the honor of an admiral of thefleet."

"No honor can be lost, John, where no dishonor hasbeen done. What have you done? What has Harold done? There is no question of honor."

The old man shook his head, but Harold had alreadycalled together his clear practical sense, which for aninstant in the presence of this frightful blow haddeserted him.

"The mater is right, dad," said he. "It is badenough, Heaven knows, but we must not take too dark aview of it. After all, this insolent letter is in itselfevidence that I had nothing to do with the schemes of thebase villain who wrote it."

"They may think it prearranged."

"They could not. My whole life cries out against thethought. They could not look me in the face andentertain it."

"No, boy, not if they have eyes in their heads,"cried the Admiral, plucking up courage at the sight ofthe flashing eyes and brave, defiant face. "We havethe letter, and we have your character. We'll weather ityet between them. It's my fault from the beginning forchoosing such a land-shark for your consort. God helpme, I thought I was finding such an opening for you."

"Dear dad! How could you possibly know? As he saysin his letter, it has given me a lesson. But he was somuch older and so much more experienced, that it was hardfor me to ask to examine his books. But we must waste notime. I must go to the City."

"What will you do?"

"What an honest man should do. I will write to allour clients and creditors, assemble them, lay the wholematter before them, read them the letter and put myselfabsolutely in their hands."

"That's it, boy--yard-arm to yard-arm, and have itover."

"I must go at once." He put on his top-coat and hishat. "But I have ten minutes yet before I can catch atrain. There is one little thing which I must do beforeI start."

He had caught sight through the long glass foldingdoor of the gleam of a white blouse and a straw hat inthe tennis ground. Clara used often to meet him there ofa morning to say a few words before he hurried away intothe City. He walked out now with the quick, firmstep of a man who has taken a momentous resolution, buthis face was haggard and his lips pale.

"Clara," said he, as she came towards him with wordsof greeting, "I am sorry to bring ill news to you, butthings have gone wrong in the City, and--and I think thatI ought to release you from your engagement."

Clara stared at him with her great questioning darkeyes, and her face became as pale as his.

"How can the City affect you and me, Harold?"

"It is dishonor. I cannot ask you to share it."

"Dishonor! The loss of some miserable gold andsilver coins!"

"Oh, Clara, if it were only that! We could be farhappier together in a little cottage in the country thanwith all the riches of the City. Poverty could not cutme to the heart, as I have been cut this morning. Why,it is but twenty minutes since I had the letter, Clara,and it seems to me to be some old, old thing whichhappened far away in my past life, some horrid blackcloud which shut out all the freshness and the peace fromit."

"But what is it, then? What do you fear worse thanpoverty?"

"To have debts that I cannot meet. To behammered upon 'Change and declared a bankrupt. Toknow that others have a just claim upon me and to feelthat I dare not meet their eyes. Is not that worse thanpoverty?"

"Yes, Harold, a thousand fold worse! But all thismay be got over. Is there nothing more?"

"My partner has fled and left me responsible forheavy debts, and in such a position that I may berequired by the law to produce some at least of thismissing money. It has been confided to him to invest,and he has embezzled it. I, as his partner, am liablefor it. I have brought misery on all whom I love--myfather, my mother. But you at least shall not be underthe shadow. You are free, Clara. There is no tiebetween us."

"It takes two to make such a tie, Harold," said she,smiling and putting her hand inside his arm. "It takestwo to make it, dear, and also two to break it. Is thatthe way they do business in the City, sir, that a man canalways at his own sweet will tear up his engagement?"

"You hold me to it, Clara?"

"No creditor so remorseless as I, Harold. Never,never shall you get from that bond."

"But I am ruined. My whole life is blasted."

"And so you wish to ruin me, and blast my life also. No indeed, sir, you shall not get away so lightly. Butseriously now, Harold, you would hurt me if it werenot so absurd. Do you think that a woman's love is likethis sunshade which I carry in my hand, a thing onlyfitted for the sunshine, and of no use when the windsblow and the clouds gather?"

"I would not drag you down, Clara."

"Should I not be dragged down indeed if I left yourside at such a time? It is only now that I can be of useto you, help you, sustain you. You have always been sostrong, so above me. You are strong still, but then twowill be stronger. Besides, sir, you have no idea what awoman of business I am. Papa says so, and he knows."

Harold tried to speak, but his heart was too full. He could only press the white hand which curled round hissleeve. She walked up and down by his side, prattlingmerrily, and sending little gleams of cheeriness throughthe gloom which girt him in. To listen to her he mighthave thought that it was Ida, and not her staid anddemure sister, who was chatting to him.

"It will soon be cleared up," she said, "and then weshall feel quite dull. Of course all business men havethese little ups and downs. Why, I suppose of all themen you meet upon 'Change, there is not one who has notsome such story to tell. If everything was alwayssmooth, you know, then of course every one wouldturn stockbroker, and you would have to hold yourmeetings in Hyde Park. How much is it that you need?"

"More than I can ever get. Not less than thirteenthousand pounds."

Clara's face fell as she heard the amount. "What doyou purpose doing?"

"I shall go to the City now, and I shall ask all ourcreditors to meet me to-morrow. I shall read themPearson's letter, and put myself into their hands."

"And they, what will they do?"

"What can they do? They will serve writs for theirmoney, and the firm will be declared bankrupt."

"And the meeting will be to-morrow, you say. Willyou take my advice?"

"What is it, Clara?"

"To ask them for a few days of delay. Who knows whatnew turn matters may take?"

"What turn can they take? I have no means of raisingthe money."

"Let us have a few days."

"Oh, we should have that in the ordinary course ofbusiness. The legal formalities would take them somelittle time. But I must go, Clara, I must not seem toshirk. My place now must be at my offices."

"Yes, dear, you are right. God bless you and guardyou! I shall be here in The Wilderness, but all dayI shall be by your office table at Throgmorton Street inspirit, and if ever you should be sad you will hear mylittle whisper in your ear, and know that there is oneclient whom you will never be able to get rid of--neveras long as we both live, dear."