Canada, Western -- Fiction; Farm life -- Canada -- Fiction; Married people -- Fiction
"Well," said Carrie, "perhaps I will tell you what it is by and by. In
the meanwhile, since I am going to-morrow, there are several things I
have to see to."
Starting next morning with Eveline Annersly, she was on the following
day ushered into the manager's room at Leland's bank. The gentleman who
sat there appeared a trifle astonished when he saw her, as though he had
scarcely expected to see the stamp of refinement and station on Leland's
wife. He drew out a chair for her, and urbanely asked what he could do
for her. Carrie laid a casket and a small bundle of papers upon the
table.
"I think you are acquainted with my husband?" she said.
"Certainly," said the banker. "We have had the pleasure of doing
business with Mr. Leland of Prospect for a good many years."
"Then," said Carrie, decisively, "you are on no account to tell him
about any business you may do for me--that is, unless I give you
permission to do so."
The banker concealed any astonishment he may have felt, merely saying
that it was his part to fall in with his clients' wishes. Carrie held
out a pass-book.
"I suppose I could have this money any time I wished?" she said.
"Certainly. You have only to write a cheque for it."
Carrie opened a paper, and handed it to him. "I have had it all
explained to me, but I am afraid I don't understand it very well," she
said. "Until I was married I could get only a little of the money as my
trustees gave it to me, and they put the rest into an English bank for
me. I have the book here. You will see how much the dividends and
interest come to every year."
The banker studied the document carefully. Then he took the pass-book
she handed him. "Well," he said, "you can do whatever you like with it
now. Quite a sum of money has accumulated."
"I could put it into your bank here?"
"Of course. I should be glad to arrange it for you. You would also get
more interest for it than you seem to have done in England."
"Then I want you to do it. You lend people money. I wonder if you could
let me have as much now as I would get in the next four or five years.
Of course, you would charge me for doing it."
The banker smiled a little, and shook his head as he glanced at the
document. "You will excuse my mentioning that the interest on the money
involved is only to be paid--to you."
"Ah," said Carrie, "of course, I might die, and then, I remember, it
would go back again. Still, that only makes what I want to do more
necessary. I suppose I could make over to my husband all the money there
is in the English bank and anything else that really belongs to me? That
is, I could put it into his account here? You see, I don't want him to
know--anything about it for a little while."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account