He had, it seemed, lost a large sum of money, from the failure of a bank in which he was a shareholder, and the blow had killed him.

The estate was, when Mrs.Whitney wrote, for sale.
Reuben had written back, begging his mother to send him all particulars that she could gather; but communication between Australia and England was in those days very slow, and no answer had yet been received.

Another letter had, indeed, told him that the estate had been sold.

Mrs.Ellison, he knew, had died a few weeks after he had left England.
"It is very simple," Kate Ellison said quietly; "although of course it seems so strange to you, our being here.

My sister was engaged to Mr.Donald before papa's death and, as you know, almost everything went owing to that bank; and as I had no reason for staying in England, I came out here with them." Reuben subsequently learned that Mr.Ellison had disapproved of the engagement of his daughter with Mr.Donald, who was the younger son of a neighbouring squire.