It was Stephen Crouch; the foreman in a large firm, and a respectable, intelligent man. "Do you remember, any of you, that a report arose some time ago about Wilson and King? A report that died away again?" "That they were on their last legs," replied several voices. "Well?" "Well, they are off them now," continued Stephen Crouch. Up rose a man, his voice shaking with emotion. "It's not true, Mr. Crouch, sure--ly!" "It is, Vincent. Wilson and King are going to wind up. It will be announced next week." "Mercy help us! There'll be forty more hands throwed out! What's to become of us all?" A dead silence fell on the room. Vincent broke it. Hope is strong in the human heart. "Mr. Crouch, I don't think it can be true. Our wages was all paid up to-night. And we have not heard a breath on't." "I know all that," said Stephen Crouch. "I know where the money came from to pay them. It came from Mr. Ashley." The assertion astonished the room. "From Mr. Ashley! Did he tell it abroad?" "_He_ tell it!" indignantly returned Stephen Crouch. "Mr. Ashley is an honourable man. No. Wilson and King have a tattler too near to them; that's how it came out. Not but what it would have been known all over Helstonleigh on Monday, all particulars. Every sixpence, pretty near, that Wilson and King have, is locked up in their stock. They expected remittances by the London mail this morning, and they did not come. They went to the bank. The bank was shy, and would not make advances; and they had nothing in hand for wages. They went to Mr. Ashley and told him their perplexity, and he drew a cheque. The bank cashed that, with a bow. And if it had not been for Mr. Ashley, Ned Vincent, you and the rest of their hands would have gone home to-night with empty pockets." "Will Mr. Ashley lose the money?" "Not he. He knew there was no danger of that, when he lent it. Nobody will lose by Wilson and King. They have more than enough to pay everybody in full; only their money's locked up." "Why are they giving up?" "Because they can't keep on. They have been losing a long while. What do you ask--what will they do? They must do as others have done before them, who have been unable to keep on. If Wilson and King had given up ten years ago, they had then each a nice little bit of property to retire upon. But it has been sunk since. There are too many others in this city in the same ease." "And what's to become of us hands that's throwed out?" asked Vincent, returning to his own personal grievance. "You must try and get taken on somewhere else, Vincent," observed Stephen Crouch. "There ain't a better cutter than Ned Vincent going," cried another voice. "He won't wait long." "I don't know about that," returned Vincent gloomily. "The masters is overdone with hands." "Of all the bad luck as ever fell upon a town, the opening of the ports to them foreign French was the worst for Helstonleigh," broke in the intemperate voice of Fisher.