Ovington's Bank

"Ovington's Bank" by Stanley John Weyman is a story that takes place in a lively town during market day, where money and social class strongly influence how people interact. The main character, Mr. Ovington, a banker, and his friends try to convince important people, like Squire Griffin, to invest in a new railroad. The book begins with a busy market scene where Mr. Ovington and his assistant, Arthur Bourdillon, are moving through the crowd. Mr. Ovington is shown as a person who wants to take advantage of new economic changes by building a railroad, which he thinks will make a lot of money. But Squire Griffin, who stands for old traditions, opposes this idea because he doesn't want the railroad to change the town, leading to a clash between the old ways and new progress.