Year: 1870

ing. IL seemed to be an effort to him
even to keep up the appearance of list
ening to me; and when, at last, fairly
broke down in the middle of a sentence,
and gave up the hope of getting any
further, all the answer he gave me was
comprised in these few civil common
place words:


Never mind, Mr.. Trowbridge pray
don't think of apologizing. We are all
liable to make mistakes. Say nothing
more about it, and bring the money
back on Monday if you still honor us
with your confidence"


Helooked down at his papers as if he
was anxious to be alone again, and I
had no alternative, of course, but to
take my leave Immediately. | went
home, feeling little easier in my mind
now that had paved the way for max
ing the best practical atonement in my
power by bringing my balance back
the first thing on Monday morning.
Still lspassed weary day on Sunday,
rejecting sadly enough that l had not
yet made my peace with Mr.. Fauntle-
roy. My anxiety to set myself right
with my generous friend was so intense
that l rlsked intruding myself on his
privacy by calling at his town residence
on Saturday. He was not there, and
his servant could tell me nothing of his
whereabouts. There was no help for it
now, but to wait till his week day duties
brought him back to the bank.


went to business on Mon lay morn
ing half an hour earlier than usual, SO
great was my impatience to restore the
amount of that unlucky draft to my ac-
count as soon as possible after the bank
opened.


On entering my Office, L stopped with
a startled feeling just inside the door.
Something serious had happened. The
clerks, instead of being at their desks
as usual, were all huddled together
In group, talking to each other with
blank faces. When they saw me, they
fell back behind my managing man,
who stepped forward with circular in
his hand.


"Have you heard the news, sir ?" he
said.


| "No. What is it?n


He handed me the circular. NV
heart gave one violent throb the instant
looked at it. I felt myself turn pale I;
felt my knees trembling under me.


Marsh, Stracey, Fauntleroy and Gra-
| ham had stopped payment.


"The circular has not been issued
more than half an hour" continued
my managing clerk. Il have just come
| from the bank, sir. The doors are shut;
there Is no doubt about it. Marsh &
Company have stopped this morning"
hardly heard him; hardly knew
who was talking to me. My strange
visitor Of the Saturday had taken in
slant possession of all my thoughts,
and his words of warning seemed TO be
sounding. once more in my ears. This
man had known the true condition of
the bank when not another soul outside
the door was aware of it! The last
draft paid across the counter of that
! ruined house, when the doors closed on
Saturday, was the draft that | had so
bitterly reproaehed myself for drawing;
the one balance saved from the wreck
was my balance Where had the strang-
er got the information that had saved
me? and why had he brought il to my
ears?


was still cropping, like man In the
dark, for an answer to these two ques
tions--I was still bewildered by the un-
fathomable mystery of doubt into
which they had plunged me-when the
discovery of the stopping of the bank
was followed almost imediately by q
| second shock, far more dreadful, far
heavier to bear, so far as l was concern :
ed, than she first.


While and my clerks were discus
sing the failure Gf the firm, two mer-
camille men, who were friends of mine,
ran into the office, and overwhelmed us
with the news that one OF the partners
had been arrested for forgery. Never
shall forget the terrible Monday morn
ing when those tidings reached me, and
when l knew that the partner was Mr..
Fauntleroy.


was true to him can honestly say
/ was trne to my belief in my generous
friend-when that fearful news reached
me. My fellow merchants had got all
the particulars Of the arrest. They told
me that two of Mr.. Fauntleroy's fellow
trustees had come up to London
| 10 make arrangements aboUt selling out
some stock. On inquiring foR Mr. Faunt.
leroy at the banking house, they had
been informed that he was not there /;
and, after leaving a message for him,
they had gone into the city to make an
appointment with their stock broker
for a future day, when their fellow
trustee might be able to attend. The
stock broker volunteered to make GER
tain business inquiries on the spot, with
view to saving as much time as pos
sible, and left them at his Office to await
his return He came back, looking
very much amazed, with the informa-
tion that the stock had been sold out
down to the last five hundred pounds.
The affair was instantly investigated /;
the document authorizing the selling
out was produced ; and the two trustees
saw on it, side by side with Mr.. fauni-
leroy's signature, the forged signatures
of their own names, This happened on
Friday, and the trustees, without losing
a moment, sent the officers of justice in
pursuit of Mr.. Fauntleroy. He was ar
rested, brought up before the magistrate,
and remanded on the Saturday. On
the Monday | heard from my friends
the particulars which ! have just mar
rated.


But the events of that one morning
were not destiEed to end even yet.
had discovered the failure of the bank
! aud hn orrpgt Of Mr. Eanntlapnu 1 uraG