She mentioned her London hotel, and an approximate date
when she might be heard of there.
"Get the Castle if you possibly can," were her words as they parted.
"I have set my heart on the Castle."
"So have I," said Piers, avoiding her look.
And Mrs. Borisoff laughed.
CHAPTER XXXIII
Once in the two years' interval he had paid a short visit to
England. He came on disagreeable business--to see his brother
Daniel, who had fallen into the hands of the police on an infamous
charge, and only by the exertions of clever counsel (feed by Piers)
received the benefit of a doubt and escaped punishment. Daniel had
already written him several begging letters, and, when detected in
what looked like crime, declared that poverty and ill-health were
his excuse. He was a broken man. Surmising his hidden life, Piers
wondered at the pass a man can be brought to, in our society, by his
primitive instincts; instincts which may lead, when they are
impetuous, either to grimiest degradation or loftiest attainment. To
save him, if possible, from the worst extremities, Piers granted him
a certain small income, to be paid weekly, and therewith bade him
final adieu.
The firm of Moncharmont & Co. grew in moderate prosperity. Its
London representative was a far better man, from the commercial
point of view, than Piers Otway, and on visiting the new offices--
which he did very soon after reaching London, in the spring of 1894
--Piers marvelled how the enterprise had escaped shipwreck during
those twelve months which were so black in his memory with storm and
stress.
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