The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-02-02
THEGHOST In THE BANK
OF ENGLAND.
CHAPTER I.

And why not in the Bank of England?
II had said in some ruined Rhenish
castle, or in some ancient graveyard, or
some lonely wind-swept moor where
murderers have swung and ratified their
bones in chains and the question would
not be worth asking. Nay, there are
places in London where dream-haunted
man who walks the streets arm in arm
with the past would expect to meet
ghosts whose name 10 legion. II Tower
Hill be not the very Brocken, the very
heart and centeHof ghostland, then these
unhappy. spirits must indeed be left with
out q home. If ghosts be memories
struggling hard against burial, and Civ
ing life to places where life and death
have been more strongly intensified than
elsewhere, then must the ghosts be as
many in London as the bricks and stones.
Speaking purely in the language Of fan
cy, I should not be astonished to learn
that even ghostly bulls and bears bar
gained for phantom srcipt in Capel.
court itself, remembering that moses OF
memory gather about gold; and Lloyd's
should have as many revenants as there
are wrecks in, the bottom of the sea. 1t is
true that the Bank of England would
not be chosen at once by ghosthunteI
as hunting-ground. It is not more
than hundred and forty-fve years old,
30 that there has scarcely been time
enough for a ghost to grow. 1t has new
er, so far as am aware, been the scene
Of murder. It is the worlds type Of
sabstantiality and of reality. 1t is built
upon the rock Of strong fact, and car
ried on, down to its smallest details, by
the very perfection of human machinery.
It goes to sleep soundly at night, and
lives and works only by day. There is
scarcely chink in its substance large
enough for the tiniest fancy to be
Matched in. And yet, even here, those
who have eyes to see might happen to
meet some such figure as that Of the
founder himself, first Preacher Of the
Word among the Scotch hills then a
Buccaneer of the Spanish Main, then q
Prince of political finance, finally
wrecked and ruined upon the shadow Of
Darien. Fauntleroy and Mathison would
be at least as likely to haunt the place
where their hearts were as the spirit of q
murderer to cling to the seems Of his
crime. And what has become Of the
ghosts of Robert Thorne, Merchant Tay
lor, and of John Kendrike, and of thu
Houblons, all buried in the ancient
church Of St. Christopher le Stock which
was pulled down in order that the mort
important Temple might have widel
room to grew in? They must need
prowl about the Bank. court, for want o.
graves wherein to lie.
But it is of no mere historical fancy
termed "Ghost" by courtesy, Of which
am.about to tell this story-which is my
own. have no more belief in the ghost:
of legend than the majority of men and
women. But have been driven, at bit
ter cost, and sorely against my will, Il
learn that not only in Heaven ant
Earth, but in the Bank of England tx
boot, are more things than have beer
hitherto dreamed Of by the most imagln
ative accountants and the most romanti
cashiers. 1t is q true story; and it viii
accordingly be obvious, as I proceed, VIII.
have thought it advisable, in most in
stances, to use certain names that will
not be found in the Bank records unde
the identical form that I have givel
them. l give real names wheneve
obvious reasons for suppression did no
apply. .~~r- -a.