“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 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.” “It is not in this room, then?” “No.” “Are you sure?” “Positive.” “What, not in that safe of yours, there?” “Certainly not,” said Hardie stoutly. “Open the safe: the keys are in it.” “Open the safe? What for?” “To show me It is not in the right-hand partition of that safe; there: there.” And David pointed at the very place where it was. The dignified Mr. Hardie felt ready to sink with shame: a kind of shudder passed through him, and he was about to comply, heart-sick; but then wounded pride and the rage of disappointment stung him, and he turned in defiance. “You are impertinent, sir, and I shall not reward your curiosity and your insolence by showing you the contents of my safe.” “My money! my money!” cried David fiercely: “no more words, for I shan't listen to them: I know you now for what you are--a thief! I saw you put it into that safe: a liar is always a thief. You want to steal my children's money: I'll have your life first. My money! ye pirate! or I'll strangle you.” And he advanced upon him purple with rage, and shot out his long threatening arm and brown fingers working in the air. “D'ye know what I did to a French land-shark that tried to rob me of It? I throttled him with these fingers till his eyes and his tongue started out of him. He came for my children's money, and I killed him so--so--so--as I'll kill you, you thief! you liar! you scoundrel!”