He saw now, as impulsively as he had previously suspected his co-trustee, that the man had probably ruined himself to save the Trust.

He stammered that he had not questioned the management of the fund nor asked to withdraw his proxy.
"No matter, sir," said the colonel, impatiently; "you had the right, and I suppose," he added with half-concealed scorn, "it was your duty.
But let that pass.

The money is safe enough; but, Mr.Hathaway,--and this is the point I want to discuss with you,--it begins to look as if the SECRET was safe no longer!" He had raised himself with some pain and difficulty to draw nearer to Paul, and had again fixed his eyes eagerly upon him.

But Paul's responsive glance was so vague that he added quickly, "You understand, sir; I believe that there are hounds--I say hounds!--who would be able to blurt out at any moment that that girl at Santa Clara is Kate Howard's daughter." At any other moment Paul might have questioned the gravity of any such contingency, but the terrible earnestness of the speaker, his dominant tone, and a certain respect which had lately sprung up in his breast for him, checked him, and he only asked with as much concern as he could master for the moment:-- "What makes you think so ?" "That's what I want to tell you, Hathaway, and how I, and I alone, am responsible for it.

When the bank was in difficulty and I made up my mind to guard the Trust with my own personal and private capital, I knew that there might be some comment on my action.