Grimstone had evidently come in for a gossip, business being rather slack, following a good deal of night-work and the finish of an important order; and after another pinch and an allusion to the political topic of the day, they seemed to forget my presence and went on talking. "When's the happy day to be?" said Mr Grimstone. "What, Lister's? Oh, I don't know: soon, I suppose. Seen her?" "Yes, twice," said Mr Grimstone, giving his lips a smack; "beautiful!" "So I hear," said Mr Jabez Rowle; "plenty of money too, I suppose." "50,000 pounds, and more to come. I never had such luck." "I never wanted it," said Mr Jabez Rowle with a growl. "I don't know why a man should want to tie himself up to a woman." "Not with 50,000 pounds and more to come, eh?" said Mr Grimstone waggishly. "Might have tempted me twenty years ago," growled Mr Jabez; "it wouldn't now." "S'pose not. You're too warm, Rowle--much too warm. I say, though," he continued, lowering his voice, but quite ignoring me, "is a certain person safe?" "A certain person?" "Yes, you know. Suppose, for instance, he quietly asked you to let him have 500 pounds for a few months at seven-and-a-half and a bonus, would you, always considering that he soon touches 50,000 pounds and more to come, would you let him have it?" Mr Jabez took a pinch of snuff furiously, shut the box with a loud snap, and, evidently completely thrown of his guard, exclaimed: "Hang him for a fool! Curse me if ever I do so again." "What do you mean?" said Mr Grimstone, milling up, "Do you mean to say I'm a fool?" "No, no: he is, to go and blab." "Blab?" "Yes, to let it out to you." "I say! What do you mean?" said Mr Grimstone again. "Mean? Why, you as good as said he told you I had let him have 500 pounds at seven-and-a-half and a bonus. Lent on the strength of his going to marry a woman with 50,000 pounds and more to come." "I didn't." "You did." "Whew!" whistled Mr Grimstone, snatching the snuff-box out of Mr Jabez Rowle's hand, taking a vigorous pinch, and scattering so much of the fine brown dust in the air that I should have had a violent fit of sneezing if I had not become hardened to its effects. The two stared at one another for a minute, and Mr Jabez now snatched the box back and took a hearty pinch, some of which went on to his shirt-front--and some upon his sleeve. "Why, you don't mean to say that he has borrowed 500 pounds of you?" said Mr Grimstone, in a whisper. "But I do mean to say it," replied Mr Jabez. "How came he to tell you? I never told a soul." "He didn't tell me," said Mr Grimstone thoughtfully. "Then who did?" "No one." "Then how came you to know?" said Mr Jabez, passing his box. "Why, you don't mean to say he has been to you for five hundred?" Mr Grimstone nodded. "And offered you seven-and-a-half, and a bonus of thirty pounds?" Mr Grimstone nodded again, and this time it was Mr Jabez Rowle's turn to whistle.