At last she could keep the secret to herself no longer. She must tell Arthur, and as he had been so ready to go to Mr. Andrews for advice when it was the question of stricter economy that had to be practised, she thought he ought to go now and hear what was likely to happen.
But Arthur shook his head. "I heard about this a day or two ago, and you may be sure that Andrews has heard it as well, and if there is anything to be done for us he will do it. But I am afraid it comes a little too early and a little too late to do us any good now."
"Why, what do you mean, Arthur?" asked his sister.
"You talk in riddles, as though you were a lawyer too!" said Molly, keenly watching her brother, and feeling sure that there was some secret trouble that he did not like to tell them about. And she tried to rouse him out of it by saying, "Now explain your riddle, that we simple folk may have the benefit of your wisdom."
"Well, it's just this," said Arthur, trying to look amused and interested. "If the railway had come years ago, we should not have been over head and ears in debt on the expectation of it, for every bit of the property, except this cottage, has been mortgaged to its full value. Mr. Andrews told me that the first time I saw him, for he thought I ought to know just how things stood, that I might understand the necessity there was for me to obtain employment, and persevere with it, whatever it might be."
"And now you think you might have done better than go to a shop?" interrupted Annie. "You are vexed that you did not take my advice and wait a little longer, instead of being in such a hurry to take the first thing that offered."
"Not a bit of it!" replied Arthur promptly. "The work I have to do suits me down to the ground, and I would not exchange it for anything else, because I like figures, and am quick, and accurate too, at book-keeping. No, no; don't you get the idea into your heads that if this railway scheme is going to be carried out, I am going to throw up my employment. As I said before, if Andrews can save anything out of the wreck, it must be for Mamma and you girls. I can shift for myself very well, for I have no doubt, if I continue to give satisfaction, Mr. Brading will raise my salary in a year. In fact he said as much, so that you see I can be independent of the property."
"No, you can't, Arthur," put in Molly. "I have heard Papa say it was his great wish that the property should come to you as it did to him, and it must if the others don't grab it all."
"Ah! That's the hard nut that has to be cracked, if you girls are to stay here with Mamma in comfort. The 'others' lent or gave their money on this land, and if we can't pay back what they lent when they want it, why, of course they take the land instead! There's no grabbing about it. Papa and Grandpapa between them had the money, and spent it; so, of course, there is none left for us. It is purely a matter of business," added Arthur.
In point of fact, this question of the railway coming through the Murray property was of small moment to Arthur just now. The trouble that weighed upon his mind was the changed attitude Mr. Brading had assumed towards him. He knew sufficient of his character now to be certain that he would not do this without some grave reason, and he was beginning to see that the only possible cause to disturb the harmony of his relations with everybody in the house was Lady Mary's missing letter.