The man was a retired shop-keeper, eloquent on “the value of money,” and thinking the five or six thousands which were the much-boasted result of his life, a great fortune, justly entitling its possessor to “a proper pride.” Like most people, whose increase has been an accumulation of morsels, Mr. Macalister was terribly afraid of risk, and shrank from speculation with the most orthodox horror. Persuaded at first to invest his money in Harry’s mortgage, because land was the most secure of banks, his ears had been keenly alive, ever since, to every morsel of news he could glean about Harry; and when Mr. Macalister heard he was _wild_, he trembled for his four thousand pounds. Then came Harry’s death, and hearing that the property was left only in the hands of women, Mr. Macalister had a vague notion that he had power to sell the lands of Allenders, and pay himself, very probably making a profit of the transaction; or that he might, if he would, take possession, and become Laird of Allenders in his own person; but he had never mentioned this grand imagination to any one, though it invested him with a visionary importance, which surprised his very wife. Yet Macalister was by no means a dishonest man, nor one who would deliberately set about benefiting himself by cheating his neighbours--by no means; but his exaggerated idea of the money which he had laboriously earned, made him believe that all this was in his power. So he came to Lindsay’s office very spruce and shining, with an elaborate shirt-frill, and a new cane, determined to demand instant re-payment of the money, or failing that, to intimate his intention of entering upon possession of Allenders. Lindsay, somewhat puzzled, was endeavouring to understand the solemn hints, and important allusions of Macalister, when Martha and her uncle entered his office. The creditor was somewhat taken by surprise; and when he saw the deference with which the lawyer received this grave-looking woman in her deep mourning, Macalister faltered; for he had never thought of “the other party--” never, except as natural opponents and adversaries of whom he, in this connexion of debtor and creditor, had greatly the advantage. “I have been thinking--I’ll likely want my money, Miss Allenders,” said Macalister after a few general words had passed, followed by an embarrassed silence. “Mr. Lindsay will pay you the interest which is due,” said Martha; “and it would be a convenience to us if you did not--at least, immediately--claim your money. The works for which it was borrowed have not had time yet to be profitable; but a few years more, I trust--” “Ay, Miss Allenders; but it’s not so easy for me to wait a few years more,” said Macalister, briskly, restored to his natural self-importance by Martha’s request; “for ye see, I can show you plainly--”