Sat.u.r.day morning rose busily, as was usual at Prior's Ash. However stagnant the town might be on other days, Sat.u.r.day was always full of life and bustle. Prior's Ash was renowned for its grain market; and dealers from all parts of the country flocked in to attend it. But on this morning some unusual excitement appeared to be stirring the town; natives and visitors. People stood about in groups, talking, listening, asking questions, consulting; and as the morning hours wore on, an unwonted stream appeared to be setting in towards the house of G.o.dolphin, Crosse, and G.o.dolphin. Whether the reports might be true or false, there would be no harm just to draw _their_ money out and be on the safe side, was the mental remark made by hundreds. Could put it in again when the storm had blown over--if it proved to be only a false alarm.

Under these circ.u.mstances, little wonder that the Bank was unusually favoured with visitors. One strange feature in their application was, that they all wanted to draw out money: not a soul came to pay any in.

George G.o.dolphin, fully aware of the state of things, alive to the danger, was present in person, his words gracious, his bearing easy, his smile gay as ever. Only to look at him eased some of them of half their doubt.

But it did not arrest their cheques and old Hurde (whatever George might have done) grew paralyzed with fear.

"For the love of Heaven, send for Mr. G.o.dolphin, sir!" he whispered. "We can't go on long at this rate."

"What good can he do?" returned George.

"Mr. George, he _ought_ to be sent for; he ought to know what's going on; it is an imperative duty," remonstrated the clerk, in a strangely severe tone. "In fact, sir, if you don't send, I must. I am responsible to him."

"Send, then," said George. "I only thought to spare him vexation."

Mr. Hurde beckoned Isaac Hastings. "Fly for your life up to Ashlydyat, and see Mr. G.o.dolphin," he breathed in his ear. "Tell him there's a run upon the Bank."

Isaac, pa.s.sing through the Bank with apparent unconcern, easy and careless as if he had taken a leaf from the book of George G.o.dolphin, did not let the gra.s.s grow under his feet when he _was_ out. But, instead of turning towards Ashlydyat, he took the way to All Souls'

Rectory.

Arriving panting and breathless, he dashed in, and dashed against his brother Reginald, not five minutes arrived from a two years' absence at sea. Scarcely giving half a moment to a pa.s.sing greeting, he was hastening from the room again in search of his father.

"Do you call _that_ a welcome, Isaac?" exclaimed Mrs. Hastings, in a surprised and reproving tone. "What's your hurry? One would think you were upon an errand of life and death."

"So I am: it is little short of it," he replied in agitation. "Regy, don't stop me: you will know all soon. Is my father in his room?"

"He has gone out," said Mrs. Hastings.

"Gone out!" The words sounded like a knell. Unless his father hastened to the Bank, he might be a ruined man. "Where's he gone, mother?"

"My dear, I have not the least idea. What is the matter with you?"

Isaac took one instant's dismayed counsel with himself: he had not time for more. _He_ could not go off in search of him; he must hasten to Ashlydyat. He looked up: laid summary hands upon his sister Rose, put her outside the door, closed it, and set his back against it.

"Reginald, listen to me. You must go out and find my father. Search for him everywhere. Tell him there's a run upon the Bank, and he must make haste if he would find himself safe. Mother, could you look for him as well? The Chisholms' money is there, you know, and it would be nothing but ruin."

Mrs. Hastings gazed at Isaac with wondering eyes, puzzled with perplexity.

"Don't you understand, mother?" he urged. "_I_ can't look for him: I ought not to have come out of my way as far as this. He must be found, so do your best, Reginald. Of course you will be cautious to say nothing abroad: I put Rose out that she might not hear this."

Opening the door again, pa.s.sing the indignant Rose without so much as a word, Isaac sped across the road, and dashed through some cross-fields and lanes to Ashlydyat. His _detour_ had not hindered him above three or four minutes, for he went at the pace of a steam-engine. He considered it--as Hurde had said by Mr. G.o.dolphin--an imperative duty to warn his father. Thomas G.o.dolphin was not up when he reached Ashlydyat. It was only between ten and eleven o'clock.

"I must see him, Miss G.o.dolphin," he said to Janet. "It is absolutely necessary."

By words or by actions putting aside obstacles, he stood within Thomas G.o.dolphin's chamber. The latter had pa.s.sed a night of suffering, its traces remaining on his countenance.

"I shall be down at the Bank some time in the course of the day, Isaac: though I am scarcely equal to it," he observed, as soon as he saw him.

"Am I wanted for anything in particular?"

"I--I--am sent up to tell you bad news, sir," replied Isaac, feeling the communication an unpleasant one to make. "There's a run upon the Bank."

"A run upon the Bank!" repeated Thomas G.o.dolphin, scarcely believing the information.

Isaac explained. A complete run. For the last hour, ever since the bank opened, people had been thronging in.

Thomas paused. "I cannot imagine what can have led to it," he resumed.

"Is my brother visible?"

"Oh yes, sir."

"That is well. He can a.s.sure them all that we are solvent: that there is no fear. Have the remittances come down?"

"Yes, sir. But they will be nothing, Mr. Hurde says, with a run like this."

"Be so kind as to touch that bell for me, Isaac, to bring up my servant.

I will be at the Bank immediately."

Isaac rang the bell, left the room, and hastened back again. The Bank was fuller than ever: and its coffers must be getting low.

"Do you happen to know whether my father has been in?" he whispered to Layton, next to whom he stood.

Layton shook his head negatively. "I think not. I have not observed him."

Isaac stood upon thorns. He might not quit his post. Every time the doors swung to and fro--and they were incessantly swinging--he looked for Mr. Hastings. But he looked in vain. By-and-by Mr. Hurde came forward, a note in his hand. "Put on your hat, Layton, and take this round," said he. "Wait for an answer."

"Let me take it," almost shouted Isaac. And, without waiting for a.s.sent or dissent, he seized the note from Mr. Hurde's hand, caught up his hat, and was gone. Thomas G.o.dolphin was stepping from his carriage as he pa.s.sed out.

Isaac had not, this time, to go out of his way. The delivery of the note would necessitate his pa.s.sing the Rectory. "Rose!" he uttered, out of breath with agitation as he had been before, "is papa not in?"

Rose was sitting there alone. "No," she answered. "Mamma and Reginald went out just after you. Where did you send them to?"

"Then they can't find him!" muttered Isaac to himself, speeding off again, and giving Rose no answer. "It will be nothing but ruin."

A few steps farther, and whom should he see but his father. The Reverend Mr. Hastings was coming leisurely across the fields, from the very direction which Isaac had previously travelled. He had probably been to the Pollard cottages: he did sometimes take that round. Hedges and ditches were nothing to Isaac in the moment's excitement, and he leaped one of each to get to him; it cut off a step or two.

"Where were you going an hour ago?" called out Mr. Hastings before they met. "You were flying as swiftly as the wind."

"Oh, father!" wailed Isaac; "did you see me?"

"What should hinder me? I was at old Satcherley's."

"If you had only come out to me! I would rather have seen you then than--than--heaven," he panted. "There's a run upon the Bank. If you don't make haste and draw out your money, you'll be too late."

Mr. Hastings laid his hand upon Isaac's arm. It may be that he did not understand him; for his utterance was rapid and full of emotion. Isaac, in his eagerness, shook it off.

"There's not a moment to lose, father. I don't fancy they can keep on paying long. Half the town's there."

Without another word of delay, Mr. Hastings turned and sped along with a step nearly as fleet as Isaac's. When he reached the Bank the shutters were being put up.

"The Bank has stopped," said an officious bystander to the Rector.