“Bless my soul!” exclaimed Sir Thomas excitedly. “Why, everybody’s full of it, though, of course, by the bye, they would not allude to it to you. Why, they say he’s ruined—poor Methvyn I mean—at least, it is a fact that he got a telegram last night containing some very bad news, and that the shock of it brought on this attack.”
Mr. Fawcett looked incredulous.
“I don’t believe it in the least,” he said. “Of course, he may have got a telegram with bad news, but I don’t believe it could possibly be as bad as you have heard. Such things are always exaggerated.”
“Ye-es,” said Sir Thomas slowly. “I should have said the same but for one or two other things. I know for a certainty that Methvyn has lost money the last year or two. He was very persistent about managing his own affairs, and he meddled with things he did not understand. Falconer thinks badly of it, I can see, and he generally has grounds for his opinions. Still, of course, we must hope it is exaggerated. You will be going over there some time to-day, I suppose?”
“I suppose so,” said Trevor absently.
“Well, we must wait awhile. No doubt we shall hear more before long. But in any case, my boy, as I said, it need not make you uneasy. Cicely Methvyn would be Cicely Methvyn still, though she hadn’t a penny.”
“Thank you, father,” said Trevor, rousing up a little and seeing he was expected to say something of the kind, “thank you. Yes, I hope it will be all right.”
“Then you will go over this morning? And be sure to say I am most anxious to be of any use I can to poor Helen. I would go myself, but you see I have all these people on my hands till the afternoon; they are all leaving to-day. You will take care to say everything that is kind?”
“Oh! yes. I shall not forget,” said Trevor, as he left the room. But he still spoke absently.
“He feels it a good deal, poor fellow,” thought Sir Thomas, a little perplexed by his son’s manner. “No doubt it will be a great shock and disappointment to us all if things turn out badly. I should not like to see Greystone sold. And Methvyn, at best, was not a very rich man, and a far from wise one in money matters. Still, there’s no saying. I would rather buy the Abbey myself than see it go to strangers.”