He cast his eye over it. "All right, little
gentleman! Now my heart is relieved of such
a weight: I feel to have just cleared out a cargo
of bricks. Good-by! shake hands! I wish you
were as happy as I am. I wish all the world
was happy. God bless you! God bless you
both!"

And with this burst he was out of the room,
and making ardently for Albion Villa.

The Banker and his clerk turned round on
their seats and eyed one another a long time in
silence, and amazement.

Was this thing a dream? their faces seemed
to ask.

Then Mr. Hardie rested his senatorial head on
his hand, and pondered deeply. Skinner too
reflected on this strange freak of Fortune: and
the result was that he burst in on his principal's
reverie with a joyful shout: "The Bank is
saved! Hardie's is good for another hundred
years."

The Banker started, for Skinner's voice
sounded like a pistol shot in his ear, so high
strung was he with thought.

"Hush! hush!" he said: and pondered again
in silence.

At last he turned to Skinner. "You think
our course is plain? I tell you it is so dark and
complicated it would puzzle Solomon to know
what is best to be done."

"Save the Bank, sir! whatever you do."

"How can I save the Bank with a few
thousand pounds I must refund when called on?
You look keenly into what is under your eye,
Skinner; but you cannot see a yard beyond your
nose. Let me think."

After a while he took a sheet of paper, and
jotted down "the materials," as he called them,
and read them out to his accomplice:

"1. A Bank too far gone to be redeemed: a
trap; a well. If I throw this money into it, I
shall ruin Captain Dodd, and do myself no good,
but only my creditors.

"2. Miss Julia Dodd, virtual proprietor of
this £14,000: or of the greater part, if I choose.
The child that marries first usually jockeys the
other.

"3. Alfred Hardie, my son, and my creditor,
deep in love with No. 2, and at present
somewhat alienated from me by my thwarting a silly
love affair; which bids fair to improve into a
sound negotiation.

"4. The £14,000 paid to me personally
after Banking hours, and not entered on
the banking books, nor known, but to you and
me.

"Now suppose I treat this advance as
a personal trust? The Bank breaks: the
money disappears. Consternation of the
Dodds, who, until enlightened by the public
settlement, will think it has gone into the
well.

"In that interval I talk Alfred over: and
promise to produce the £14,000 intact, with
my paternal blessing on him and Miss Dodd;
provided he will release me from my debt to
him, and give me a life interest in half the
money settled on him by my wife's father
to my most unjust and insolent exclusion.
Their passion will soon bring the young people
to reason: and then they will soon melt the old
ones."

Skinner was struck with this masterly little
sketch. But he detected one fatal flaw: "You
don't say what is to become of me."

"Oh, I haven't thought of that yet."

"But do think of it, sir! that I may have the
pleasure of co-operating. It would never do
for you and me to be pulling two ways, you
know."

"I will not forget you," said Hardie, wincing
under the chain this little wretch held him
with, and had jerked him by way of reminder.
"But surely, Skinner, you agree with me it
would be a sin and a shame to rob this honest
captain of his money—for my creditors; curse
them! Ah, you are not a Father. How quickly
he found that out! Well, I am: and he touched
me to the quick: I love my little Jane as dearly
as he loves his Julia, every bit: and I feel for
him. And then he put me in mind of my own
Father; poor man. That seems strange, doesn't
it? a sailor and a Banker! Ah! it was
because they were both honest men. Oh, it was
like a wholesome flower coming into a close
room, and then out again and leaving a whiff
behind, was that sailor. He left the savour of
Probity and Simplicity behind, though he took
the things themselves away again. Why, why
couldn't he leave us what is more wanted here
than even his money? His integrity: the pearl
of price, that my Father, whom I used to
sneer at, carried to his grave; and died
simple, but wise; honest, but rich; rich in
money, in credit, in honour, and eternal hopes:
oh, Skinner! Skinner! I wish I had never been
born."

Skinner was surprised: he was not aware
that intelligent men, who sin, are subject to fits
of remorse: nay, more, he was frightened; for
the emotion of this iron man, so hard to move,
was overpowering when it came: it did not
soften, it convulsed him.

"Don't talk so, sir," said the little clerk.
"Keep up your heart! Have a drop of
something!"

"You are right," said Mr. Hardie, gloomily;
"it is idle to talk: we are all the slaves of
circumstances."

With this, he unlocked a safe that stood
against the wall, chucked the £14,000 in, and
slammed the iron door sharply; and, as it
closed upon the Cash with a clang, the
parlour door burst open as if by concert, and
David Dodd stood on the threshold, looking
terrible. His ruddy colour was all gone,
and he seemed black and white with anger
and anxiety. And out of this blanched, yet
lowering face, his eyes glowed like coals, and