Much disturbed by this intelligence, Sir Barnes was making his way to his
cheerless home in the evening, when near his own gate he overtook another
messenger. This was the railway porter, who daily brought telegraphic
messages from his uncle and the London bank. The message of that day
was,--"Consols, so-and-so. French Rentes, so much. Highgate's and
Farintosh's accounts withdrawn." The wretched keeper of the lodge owned,
with trembling, in reply to the curses and queries of his employer, that
a gentleman, calling himself the Marquis of Farintosh, had gone up to the
house the day before, and come away an hour afterwards,--did not like to
speak to Sir Barnes when he came home, Sir Barnes looked so bad like.
Now, of course, there could be no concealment from her brother, and Ethel
and Barnes had a conversation, in which the latter expressed himself with
that freedom of language which characterised the head of the house of
Newcome. Madame de Moncontour's pony-chaise was in waiting at the hall
door, when the owner of the house entered it; and my wife was just taking
leave of Ethel and her little people when Sir Barnes Newcome entered the
lady's sitting-room.
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