In that cold company and a chilling atmosphere some of his enthusiasm evaporated.

He remembered that this step of his meant that sooner or later, within a year or two at most, Yarleys, where his family had dwelt for centuries, must go to the hammer.

Why had he not accepted Aylward's offer and sold that old fetish to him for L17,000?
There was no question of share-dealing there, and if a very wealthy man chose to give a fancy price for a curiosity, he could take it without doubt or shame.

At least it would have sufficed to save Yarleys, which after all was only mortgaged for L20,000.

For the life of him he could not tell.