knew him when he was about the duke. There
is not enough of good blood brought into money.
It has often occurred to me that the gentlemanly
interest has not been half worked enough. The
court might be looked to more. There is a
mine of wealth all up and down there,"
continued Mr. Bowater, a little querulously.

Then other business was gone into; but before
the board adjourned, Mr. Smiles, the man who
was all business, was appointed to be the St.
Alans manager; and it was determined that the
good and suitable house fixed on by Mr. Tillotson
should forthwith be purchased and converted
with all speed into a first-class banking-house.
Mr. Smiles and his family had already gone
down to St. Alans, and were established there.

At St. Alans it soon transpired that a great
London bank was about opening an important
branch in " the very heart" of the town. Partly
this discovery was owing to some rumours set
on foot by the local paper; but a good deal to
the behaviour of Mr. Tilney himself, whose
Malacca stick was in eternal flourish, like a
gigantic compass, and who, with an extraordinary
air of importance, used to stand before a
particular grocer's shop, and, from the other
side of the street, mark it out, up and down,
and across, with flourishes of his cane. A very
few days later a trellis-work of scaffolding had
crept up its front. It swarmed up and down
with workmen, who were scoring and scarifying
its wretched face from top to bottom, punching
awful gaps, and " gouging" out its very windows,
from which streamed down showers of dust and
calcareous matter. By-and-by they had the
gorgeous grocer's shop completely cut away,
and its whole face hung perilously in the air,
suspended like a card. This was the fashion
of the United Foncier Company. They rarely
built a house; but they performed pantomimic
miracles in their transformation of old crazy
tenements into gorgeous banking palaces. In
this instance their own architect had sent down
a plan, and in a very short time, under the
hands of plaster confectioners, the former shop
began to grow into beauty and embroideries,
getting on a high mansarde roof, with many
windows and balconies, and scrolls, and German,
text inscriptions — all worked put by the
confectioners in a rich loamy material. Plate-glass
began to glisten. Clean wire blinds then came
behind the plate-glass, and the rustics, who
passed on market-days, saw with amazement
men laying down a gorgeous tesselated pave-
ment. As for the fittings, the mahogany counters,
over which the gold was to be shovelled,
we should have read the account in the local
paper. The St. Alans Banner, who was admitted
to a private view, and was perfectly ravished
with it all, spoke of it as "our new bank,"
and dwelt on "the courtesy of the efficient
secretary" (which meant the sherry and the
biscuits of the efficient secretary, served in the
board-room), but did not report what were the
services of Mr. Tilney on this famous occasion,
who was perhaps no less efficient in his way.
"Look at this," he would say to the Banner,
patting the counters affectionately, "there's
mahogany! The finest we could get anywhere.
Yes, we had to put the spur on. We ran it all
up in no time. We have done our part, I think,
and it only remains for the people to do the
rest. As long as they stand by us, we shall by
them, come weal, come woe. Heaven helps those
who help themselves."

"I don't know how the thing will work, I
am sure," said the secretary. '"I suppose I
shall pull it through, somehow. As for compliments
and easy money, and that sort of thing,
they need not expect it. We shall have but one
rule. If any one brings me a good bill, I shall
cash it; if a bad bill, he may take it away. If
they bring us money, we shall take care of it
for them. There."

And with these principles Mr. Smiles started
the bank.

Mr. Tilney had " taken him by the hand"
from the outset, with many a " Leave all that to
me, Mr. Smiles."

"Of course you'll come to our cathedral
tomorrow morning. The bank won't be a bit the
worse for that — we may cast our accounts this
way and that, but you know, Smiles, what does
it all come to in the end?"

Mr. Smiles answered dryly, that if he had
time he would try and come.

"Then I'll call for you," said Mr. Tilney.
And he did call for him. He found Mrs. Smiles
infinitely more excited about the matter, and
dressed with all the splendour of vulgarity for
the show, in yellow feathers and a pink glittering
shawl. She attached much more importance
to this début than her husband did.

They started in the procession, which had
now become almost habitual, from Mr. Tilney's
door. Mrs. Tilney welcomed them with languishing
patronage; and Mrs. Smiles, a coarse,
red-cheeked woman, of obscure birth, felt hot and
uncomfortable while being patronised sweetly
by Mrs. Tilney. She had two girls of about
twelve years old, who, dressed with a minor
gorgeousness, were " driven" on in front before
their parents, as if in a pony-carriage. They
were led triumphantly into the cathedral with
great restlessness, and whisperings, and
consultations on the part of Mr. Tilney. " If you
prefer," he whispered, " I could get you into
the dean's pew." But Mr. Smiles stood with
perfect indifference, looking critically up to the
roof and down its vast extent, thinking, perhaps,
what a bit of sentiment all this was, and
how capitally it would cut up into a bank,
with these "things" (the stalls) made into
desks. They sat up in a row. Many from
above and below stealing looks at the new party,
whom those Tilneys had " got hold of" now.

Coming out before them, Mr. Tilney had time
to whisper, " A friend! Sinews of war! One
of our London City men. He could buy and sell
you and me" (which was not a standard of vast
wealth), " and the dean and Rooksby, and every
one in that place." (This was a better hit.)
"And with all that, as simple aud as unaffectedly
pious as any man I ever saw — praying to his