Millbank; or, Roger Irving's ward. A novel

A hush falls over Millbank as the old squire’s coffin is laid in the quiet parlor, the house draped in black crepe and shadows. The sudden death of the patriarch sends a ripple of unease through the servants and family alike, each whispering about the unfinished letter still clutched in his hand. Far away, Roger Irving receives the grim telegram while in St. Louis, his return promised for the night of mourning.

Back in New York, Mrs. Walter Scott Irving—proud of her double‑barreled name—grapples with the loss, masking her shock behind a composed façade as she comforts her son Frank. The boy, sensing the tension, watches the household stir, unaware of the deeper secrets that the squire’s final words may conceal. As Roger’s carriage approaches, the estate brims with anticipation, hinting at inheritances, hidden motives, and the tangled loyalties that will soon test the bonds of the Irving family.