Year: 1870




reflections and, as necessary consequence


not one farthing Of my balance would havr


been taken from the keeping Of the bank OF


that memorable day.


As it was, bad just time enough to act


and not a spare moment for thinking. Some


heavy payments made at The beginning oi


the week had go far decreased my balance


that the sum to my credit 10 the banking
book barely reached fifteen hundred pounds.


snatehed up MY cheek book, wrote a
draft, fer the whole amount, and told one Of
my clerks to run to the bank and get il
csshed before the door closed. What i'm
pulse urged me on to accept The blind i'm
pulse Of hurry and be1ilderment can t say.
! acted mechanically, under the influence of
the vague inexplicable fear which the man s
extraordinary parting words had aroused 10
me, without stopping to analyze ny Own
sensations-almost without knowing what
was about In three minutes from the time
when the stranger had closed my door the
clerk had started for the bank, and / was
alone again in nay room, with my hands as
cold as ice and my head al 10 whirl


/ did not recover my control over myself
until the clerk came back with the notes 10
his hand He had just got to the bank in
the nick Of time As the cash for my draft
was handed to him over the counter, the
clock struck five, and he heard the order
giysa to close the doors


When l had counted The bank notes and
had locked them up in the safe, my better
sense seemed TO come back to me on a sud
den. Never have l reproached myself BE-
fore or since as / reproachel myself at that
moment. What sort Of return had made
for Mr. Fauntleroy's fatherly kindness
had insulted by the meauest. the grossest
distiust Of the honor ana the credit Of his
house, and that on the word of an absolute
stranger, Of vagsboDd, if ever there was
one yet. Il was madness-dOwnright mad
ness in any man to have acted as had done
| could hardly believe in it myself I
opened the safe and looked at the bank
notes again. | locked it once more and
flung the key down on the table in fury Of
yezatiQn against myself There the money
vas, upbraiding me with my own inconceiv-
able folly, telling me in the plainest terms
that bad risked depriying myself of my
best and kiades; friend hense!orth and for
ever.


1t was necessary to DO something at once
towards making all the atonement that lay
in my power. ] felt that. as soon as be
gan TO cool down little, there was but one
plain, straightforward way now left to get
out of the scrape in wbicn had been mad
enough to involve myself, so l took my hat,
aud, without stopping an instant to hesitate
hurried of to the bank to make clean
breast Of it to Mr. Fauntleroy


When knocked at the private door and
asked for him. was told that he rad not
been at the bank for the last two days One
of the other partners was there, however,
and was working at that moment in bis own
room.


l sent in my name at once, and asked to
see him, He and | were little better than
strangers to each other, and the interview
was likely to be, on that account, unspeak-
ably embarrassing and humiliating on ny
side Still, / could not go homo, could
MT endure the inaction Of the next day.
Sunday, without having done my best on
the spot to repair the error into which ms
own folly had led me Uncomfortable as |
felt at the prospect ofthe approaching inter
view, / should have been far more uneasy
in my mind if the partner had declined to
see me.


To my relief the bank porter returned
With message requesting me to walk in.


What particular form my explanations
and apologies took when | tried to offer
them is more than can tell nov. was so
confused and distressed that hardly knew
what was talking about at the time.


The only circumstance that | remember
clearly Is that | was ashamed to refer to my
interview with the strange man, and that l
tried to account for my sudden Withdrawal
of my balance By referring it to some IN
explieable panic, caused by mischievous re-
ports which I was unable to trace to their
soaree, and which, for anything knew to
the contrary, might after all, have been
started only in jest.


Greatly to my surprise, the partner did
not seem to notice the lamentable lameness
of my excuse, and did Eot additionally con
fuse me by asking any questions A weary
absent look, which had observed on his
face when I came in, remained on it while
was speaking. 1t seemed to be an effort to
him even to keep up the appearance Of hs-
tening to me and when finally broke down
in the middle Of sentence and gave up the
hope of getting any further, all the answer
he gave me was comprised in these few civil
words:


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


He looked down at his papers as ifhe was
anxious to be alone again, and | bad DO al
tentative ofcourse but to leave Immediately.
] went home, feeling little easier in my
mind now that | had paved the way for ma
king the best practical atonement in my
power by bringing my balance back the first
thipg ON Monday morning. Still passed
a weary day on Sunday, rejecting sadly
enough that had not yet made my peace
with Fauntleroy. Ny anxiety 20 set myself
right with my generous friend was 50 in
tense that risked intruding myself on bis
privacy by calling Ut his town residence on
Saturday


He was not there, and his servants could
tell me nothing Of his whereabouts. There
was no help for 1t now but to wait till bis
week day duties brought him back to the
bank.


=. L,.-.r.,.-s an RTnr9nt.l vy,env, ~