‘I cannot describe my emotions at that moment. Her use of my Christian name thrilled me through and through. There was something in the tone of her voice which caused strange and exquisite vibrations in me. I thank God now that I had strength to behave as an English gentleman should behave. ‘I said: “Miss Juana, your kindness overwhelms me. But I should be unworthy of your love if I took advantage of it. I am an old-fashioned man, with old-fashioned views, and I could not marry a lady in the face of her parent’s opposition.” ‘Without a word, she ran out of the house. I saw that she was crying. A few minutes afterwards I saw her galloping wildly down the road on her strawberry-roan mare. She was the most magnificent and superb horsewoman I have ever set eyes on. ‘The incident, as the phrase goes, was closed. I had enjoyed the acquaintance of Miss Juana for nearly twelve months. I enjoyed it no longer. The relations between Mr. Craig and myself resumed their old formality. He was nothing but the bank manager; I was nothing but the cashier. The pity was that I was bound to secrecy as regards his scheme; and I saw that his scheme was maturing. Without the slightest scruple, he made use of me to aid in disposing of his silver through the bank. He could depend on my honour, though my honour made a criminal of me. Things got worse and worse. His methods grew bolder and bolder. A year passed. One day he told another clerk in the office that a great-uncle had died and left him a hundred thousand pounds in new silver. He turned to me, who happened to be close by. ‘“A strange fellow! I have mentioned his peculiarities to you before now, have I not, Featherstone?” ‘Scarcely knowing what I said, I answered, “Yes.” ‘I was thus by an audacious stroke made a party to his dodge for explaining away the extraordinary prevalence of new silver. Previously to this I had noticed that he was drawing large cheques in favour of a firm of stockbrokers. ‘At length I could stand it no more. I went into his private room and said: “Mr. Craig, either you must cease your illegal proceedings, or you must release me from my oath of secrecy.” ‘He said flatly: “I shall do neither.” ‘Of course I could see that my request was foolish. He had me between his thumb and finger. ‘I then said: “Very well, Mr. Craig, there is one alternative left to me--I resign my position in the bank. You force me to do this.” ‘He said: “As you wish.” ‘He was relentless. So I was cast on the world, at my age. I had no hope of obtaining another situation. But what else could I do? By remaining in the service of the bank, and allowing Mr. Craig to make it the channel for disposing of false money, I was betraying my trust to the bank. The truth was I ought to have done a year before what I did then. ‘My savings amounted to about a hundred pounds.