While the harvests were large and the markets inflated; while cattle fetched good money; while men's hearts were full of mirth--all went well.

It is whispered now that the grand Frank has secretly borrowed 25_l_.

of a little cottage shopkeeper in the adjacent village--a man who sells farthing candles and ounces of tea--to pay his reapers.

It is also currently whispered that Frank is the only man really safe, for the following reason--they are all 'in' so deep they find it necessary to keep him going.

The squire is 'in,' the bank is 'in,' the lawyer is 'in,' the small farmers with two hundred pounds capital are 'in,' and the elderly ladies who took their bank-notes out of their tea-caddies are 'in.' That is to say, Mr.Frank owes them so much money that, rather than he should come to grief (when, they must lose pretty well all), they prefer to keep him afloat.