The clerks, as Sir Samuel Dering--his face composed to the solemnity of a mute--walked into the new Partner's room, whispered to each other: 'He's going to finish him. There'll be a bolt to-night.--He won't dare face it out.--He _have_ got a nerve!!!--The game's up at last.--They won't prosecute; you see if they do. If it was one of us, now.--Sir Samuel's come to warn him--now you'll see.' With other exchanges and surmises. Sir Samuel, big and important, coldly inclined his head and took a chair. 'A few words,' he said--'a few serious words, if you please, sir.' 'Pray, go on.' George sat up and listened, his upper lip stiffened. He knew what was coming. The thing which Sir Samuel proposed to say, apparently became difficult. He turned red and stammered. In fact, it is very difficult to inform a highly respectable young man in a highly respectable position that he is going to be charged with a crime of peculiar atrocity. 'I am here,' he said, after two or three false starts, 'without my brother's knowledge. This is a private and unofficial visit. I come to advise. My visit must be regarded as without prejudice.' 'Is it not well to ask first of all if your advice is invited?' 'In such a case as this, I venture to obtrude advice,' Sir Samuel replied with dignity. 'There are occasions on which a man should speak--he is bound to speak. You will remember that I was to have been your brother-in-law----' 'You are to be my brother-in-law. Well, Sir Samuel, go on. I will hear what you have to say.' 'You are, as no doubt you suspect and fear, about to be charged in company with another, with complicity in this long series of forgeries.' 'Really? I heard last night from Elsie that there was some talk of such a charge. Now, Sir Samuel, a man of your experience must be aware that it is not enough for a foolish old clerk to suggest a charge; but there must be some connection between the accused person and the crime.' 'Connection? Good Heavens! There is a solid chain of evidence, without a single weak point.' 'Is there indeed? Well, we will not ask for the production of your chain. Let us take it for granted. Go on to the next point.' 'I wish, young gentleman, I wish most sincerely, for the credit of yourself, and for the happiness of the unfortunate girl who has given you her heart, that my chain was of glass, to fly into a thousand fragments. But it is not. Everything is complete. The motive: the tempter: the conspiracy: the working out: the apparent success--everything complete. The motive--want of money.' 'Want of money? Well, I was pretty badly off. That cannot be denied. Go on.' 'You wanted money--both of you--wanted money. In ninety cases out of a hundred, this is the cause--wanted money. So you went and did it. Always the way in the City--they want money--and so they go and do it--go and do it.' 'I see. Well, we need not have the tempter and the rest of it. They can wait. Let us go on to the advice.'