“No, sonny,” and he placed his hand affectionately on the boy's shoulder, “my face isn't paining me, but I have a thundering big pain in my heart, Jim—a pain which you must share with me. I have just had a telegram 'from Marumbah—with very, very sad news.”
“Is it about Mary?” and the boy's lips quivered; “is she sick, Uncle?” and then, with a gasp—“is she dead?”
“No, sonny, Mary is all right, but Mr Westonley is dead,” and then he told him all that he could tell.
An hour later, when they returned to the house, and Kate Fraser wondered why they looked so quiet and depressed, Gerrard told her of the news he had received.
“Poor Jim!” she said, as she put her arms round the boy, who was trying hard not to again break down.
Then Gerrard went on to say that he would now have to change his plans somewhat.
“I must get back to Port Denison tomorrow, Miss Fraser. I want to send some telegrams as well as letters. But as it will take my sister's letter quite a fortnight to come from Marumbah, I shall put in most of the time at Kaburie, and, if I may, also inflict myself upon your father and yourself occasionally.”
“Do. We shall be so glad.”
Two days later he and Jim were back in Port Denison, and lunching with Lacey at the Queen's Hotel. Then for the first time Gerrard heard of the Dacre bank failure.
“It must have been a fearful shock to poor Ted,” he said to Lacey; “and perhaps it was that that killed him, for, as you say, the bank suspended on Saturday, and he died early on the Monday following. I fear he must have been hit very badly by the smash, for he not only had a lot of money in it, but was a big shareholder in the concern as well.”