His leisure, such as
he had, his means, his fellowship, were at their command. He was
geniality personified. But he was a banker, and a banker has duties, and
in the ups and downs of colonial business life, he was but too often
reminded to that effect. It was quite a sight if you happened to witness
the scene with a bank customer, to whom, as to "the state of his
account," it was necessary to administer what Mac's countrymen call a
"hearing." Often he had to pity victims of circumstances in the sudden
changes of colonial commerce; but "the gods aboon can only ken" to
discriminate impartially in such cases, and duty to the bank must be
done. First, the humorous twinkle in the eye sensibly abated, but it
still lingered there, unless there must be still stronger stages of the
ordeal, to bring the business culprit to reason. But when the last gleam
went out, a storm was certainly imminent. The storm, however, swept past
on the instant with the provocation. When that eye finally closed, a
veritable sunbeam of the colony went out with it.
Mrs. McArthur, who still survives, went hand in hand with her husband.
That they were an attached couple has the complementary illustration of
his making her his full heir.
Pages:
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98