He had never saved a shilling in his life, and it did not occur
to him to begin now. He had sent word to her to remain at home for
him, and he now found her waiting. "Harriet," said he, throwing
himself back into an easy chair, "the game is pretty well up at
last."
"Nonsense," said she. "The game is not up at all if you have the
spirit to carry it on."
"I can only say that I got a formal notice this morning from the
duke's lawyer, saying that he meant to foreclose at once;--not from
Fothergill, but from those people in South Audley Street."
"You expected that," said his sister.
"I don't see how that makes it any better; besides, I am not quite
sure that I did expect it; at any rate I did not feel certain. There
is no doubt now."
"It is better that there should be no doubt. It is much better that
you should know on what ground you have to stand."
"I shall soon have no ground to stand on, none at least of my
own--not an acre," said the unhappy man, with great bitterness in his
tone.
"You can't in reality be poorer now than you were last year. You
have not spent anything to speak of. There can be no doubt that
Chaldicotes will be ample to pay all you owe the duke."
"It's as much as it will; and what am I to do then? I almost think
more of the seat than I do of Chaldicotes.
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