"That I wool," said Maxley, diving a hand into
his pocket. " Hush! lookee yander now; if
there ain't Master Alfred a watching of us two
out of his window: and he have got an eye like
a hawk, he have. Step in the passage, captain,
and I'll show it you."

He drew him aside into the passage, and
gave him the letter. Dodd ran his eye over
it hastily, uttered a cry like a wounded lion,
dropped it, gave a slight stagger, and rushed
away.

Maxley picked up his letter and watched Dodd
into the Bank again; and reflected on his work.
His heart was warmed at having made a return
to the good captain.

His head suggested that he was on the road
which leads to libel.

But he had picked up at the assizes a smattering
of the law of evidence; so he coolly tore
the letter in pieces. " There now," said he
to himself, " if Hardies do laa me for publishing
of this here letter, why they pours their water
into a sieve. Ugh!" And with this exclamation
he started, and then put his heavy boot
on part of the letter, and ground it furtively
into the mud; for a light hand had settled on
his shoulder, and a keen young face was close
to his.

It was Alfred Hardie, who had stolen on him
like a cat. "I'm laad," thought Maxley.

"Maxley, old fellow," said Alfred, in a voice
as coaxing as a woman's, " are you in a good
humour?"

"Well, Master Halfred, sight of you mostly
puts me in one, especially after that there strychnine
job."

"Then tell me," whispered Alfred, his eyes
sparkling, and his face beaming, " who was that
you were talking to just now?—was it?—wasn't
it?—who was it?"

CHAPTER XXI.

WHILE Dodd stood lowering in the doorway,
he was nevertheless making a great effort to
control his agitation.

At last he said in a stern but low voice, in
which, however, a quick ear might detect a
tremor of agitation: " I have changed my mind,
sir: I want my money back."

At this, though David's face had prepared him,
Mr. Hardie's heart sank: but there was no
help for it: he said faintly: ''Certainly. May I
ask?"—and there he stopped; for it was hardly
prudent to ask anything.

"No matter," replied Dodd, his agitation
rising even at this slight delay: " come! my
money! I must and will have it."

Hardie drew himself up majestically.
" Captain Dodd, this is a strange way of demanding
what nobody here disputes."

"Well, I beg your pardon," said Dodd, a
little awed by his dignity and fairness: " but I
can't help it."

The quick, supple, Banker, saw the slight
advantage he had gained, and his mind went into a
whirl: what should he do? It was death to part
with this money and gain nothing by it: sooner
tell Dodd of the love affair; and open a treaty on
this basis: he clung to this money like limpet to its
rock; and so intense and rapid were his thoughts
and schemes how to retain it a little longer, that
David's apologies buzzed in his ear like the drone
of a beetle.

The latter went on to say: " You see, sir, it's
my children's fortune, my boy Edward's, and my
little Julia's: and so many have been trying to
get it from me, that my blood boils up in a
moment about it now.—My poor head!—You
don't seem to understand what I am saying;
there then, I am a sailor; I can't go beating
and tacking, like you landsmen, with the
wind dead astarn; the long and the short is, I
don't feel It safe here: don't feel It safe
anywhere, except in my wife's lap. So no more
words: here's your receipt; give me my
money."

"Certainly, Captain Dodd. Call to-morrow
morning at the Bank, and it will be paid on
demand in the regular way: the Bank opens at ten
o'clock."

"No, no; I can't wait. I should be dead of
anxiety before then. Why not pay it me here,
and now? You took it here."

"We receive deposits till four o'clock; but we
do not disburse after three. This is the system
of all Banks."

"That is all nonsense: if you are open to
receive money, you are open to pay it."

"My dear sir, if you were not entirely ignorant
of business, you would be aware that these
things are not done in this way: money received
is passed to account, and the cashier is the only
person who can honour your draft on it: but,
stop; if the cashier is in the Bank, we may
manage it for you yet: Skinner, run and see
whether he has left: and, if not, send him in to
me directly." The cashier took his cue, and ran
out.

David was silent.

The cashier speedily returned, saying, with a
disappointed air: "The cashier has been gone
this quarter of an hour."

David maintained an ominous silence.

"That is unfortunate," remarked Hardie.
"But, after all, it is only till to-morrow morning:
still I regret this circumstance, sir; and I feel
that all these precautions we are obliged to take
must seem unreasonable to you: but experience
dictates this severe routine; and, were we to
deviate from it, our friends' money would not be
so safe in our hands as it always has been at
present."

David eyed him sternly, but let him run on.
When he had concluded his flowing periods,
David said quietly: " So you can't give me
my own, because your cashier has carried it
away?"

Hardie smiled: "No, no; but because he has
locked it up; and carried away the key."