At Love's Cost

"Very sorry we cannot leave you in peace for a little longer, Lord

Highcliffe," he said. "But I am quite sure you would have blamed us had

we done so. We have been going into your father's affairs, and I very

much regret that we cannot give you a favourable report of them. As you

know the will, which Mr. Chaffinch," he nodded at the lawyer, "read

this morning, leaves you everything, and names Mr. Chaffinch and Mr.

Murray here executors. That's all very proper and satisfactory as it

goes, but, unfortunately, we find that there is no estate." Murray, the

secretary, passed his hand over his wrinkled forehead and sighed, as if

he himself had made away with the vast sum of money, and the lawyer

frowned and shuffled the papers before him. Stafford sat with his hands

clasped on the table, his eyes fixed on Falconer's impassive face.

"Your father's immense fortune was wholly embarked in this last

business," continued Mr. Falconer; "he believed in it and staked

everything on it. A very large number of the shares were held by him.

They are down to nothing to-day; it is very unlikely that they will

recover; it is possible that they never may; and if they should it

would be too late, for the shares your father held will, of course, go

to meet the claims--and they are heavy--on the estate. I don't know

whether I make myself understood: I am aware that you are not a

business man."

Stafford inclined his head.

"My father's debts--will they not be paid, will there not be

sufficient?" he asked, in a dry voice.

Mr. Falconer pursed his lips and shook his head.

"I'm afraid not; in fact, I can say definitely that they will not," he

replied, in a hard, uncompromising way.

Stafford looked round the large, superbly furnished room, with its

book-cases of ebony and wedgewood, its costly pictures and bronzes, and

recalled the Villa with its luxury and splendour, and the vast sums

which Sir Stephen had spent during the last few months. It seemed

difficult to realise that the wealth was all gone.

"What is to be done?" he asked, in a low voice.

Mr. Falconer was silent for a moment, as he regarded the handsome face,

which seemed to have lost its aspect of youth and taken on the lines

and hollows of age.

"I do not know. It is not for me to say. There will be a meeting of the

directors of the South African Company and others to-morrow, and some

decision will be come to, I have no doubt."