“All those?” said Alvina.
“Yes,” he said quietly. It sounded ominous.
“Many!” said Alvina.
“A fair amount! A fair amount! Let me show you a statement.”
He rose and brought her a paper. She made out, with the lawyer’s help, that the claims against her father’s property exceeded the gross estimate of his property by some seven hundred pounds.
“Does it mean we owe seven hundred pounds?” she asked.
“That is only on the estimate of the property. It might, of course, realize much more, when sold—or it might realize less.”
“How awful!” said Alvina, her courage sinking.
“Unfortunate! Unfortunate! However, I don’t think the realization of the property would amount to less than the estimate. I don’t think so.”
“But even then,” said Alvina. “There is sure to be something owing—”