Like dutiful children Phillip and his wife approached and knelt before the astonished, half-petrified father, while the mother was in hysterics in the back ground. “You needn’t ask any blessing from me,” swore Sir Richard, rising, and rudely shoving the couple from him. “Blessing! What next? Daughter! you have made a fool of yourself; and, as for you, Phillip, you have had my blessing already, and will continue to receive it every day of your existence. As, of course, you did not marry for money, and have plenty of your own, I should feel extremely obliged if you’d pay all you owe me, Mr. Redgill, and take yourself and your bride out of my house just as quickly as possible, for another meal neither of you will ever eat under my roof. John, show this gentleman to the door,” he added, putting on his hat, and rushing into the street. CHAPTER XXII. IN WHICH SIR ANDREW SUDDENLY TURNS VERY PIOUS—A STORMY MEETING. The loss of the well-known vessels, “Racehorse” and “Eclipse,” and their destruction by the Skeleton Crew under Death-wing, was a serious blow to several gentlemen in the habit of daily attending on ’Change, and their countenances wore the marks of care and anxiety, for Mr. Redgill, senior, had drawn heavily on his friends in making his grand China speculation in silks and teas. Old Moss the usurer was like one demented. He was seen rushing from place to place, making all manner of inquiries regarding the “soundness” of the London Insurance Office, but his fears were dispelled by the universal good opinion which prevailed in commercial circles concerning it. “Pooh! pooh, man!” was the general expression. “Sir Andrew is all right. Bless you, it is as safe as the bank. Why, that office is worth any amount of money!” The executors of Mr. Redgill, senior, were not long, of course, in presenting their “policies” for adjustment at the insurance office. But Sir Andrew was “out of town, and was not expected to return for several days; but upon his return all just claims would be settled,” said the clerk. Mr. Moss, as one of those principally interested, felt comforted, and awaited Sir Andrew’s return with recomposed feelings, but hot impatience. When the affairs of the “London Insurance Company” were examined commercial circles were greatly surprised to find it unable to meet the heavy loss which had unexpectedly fallen upon it by the wreck of the vessels, and that, far from being able to pay £500,000 to the estate of Mr. Redgill, deceased, it was not possessed of more than a fiftieth part of that sum. In truth, at the time in which these events occurred, the latter part of the merry monarch’s reign, the London money market was in a very unsafe, unsettled condition, and commerce was trembling on the brink of ruin from inflated currency, wild speculation, and general distrust.