when his sudden death put them for ever out of his power.

Heavy bills, showing the extent of his obligations, tumbled in
immediately upon the heels of the funeral from quarters previously
unheard and unthought of. Thus pressed, a bill was filed in
Chancery to have the assets, such as they were, administered by the
Court.

'What will become of us now?' thought Owen continually.

There is in us an unquenchable expectation, which at the gloomiest
time persists in inferring that because we are _ourselves_, there
must be a special future in store for us, though our nature and
antecedents to the remotest particular have been common to
thousands. Thus to Cytherea and Owen Graye the question how their
lives would end seemed the deepest of possible enigmas. To others
who knew their position equally well with themselves the question
was the easiest that could be asked--'Like those of other people
similarly circumstanced.'

Then Owen held a consultation with his sister to come to some
decision on their future course, and a month was passed in waiting
for answers to letters, and in the examination of schemes more or
less futile. Sudden hopes that were rainbows to the sight proved
but mists to the touch. In the meantime, unpleasant remarks,
disguise them as some well-meaning people might, were floating
around them every day. The undoubted truth, that they were the
children of a dreamer who let slip away every farthing of his money
and ran into debt with his neighbours--that the daughter had been
brought up to no profession--that the son who had, had made no