“Well, if you have nothing against him, would you not perhaps be inclined to help him? The claims of your business are, I know, enormous, and it is of course easy to forget the names and identities of the various persons who have all done their little best to build up the firm,--but Dove’s is really an exceptional case. He was always liked and respected at the works,--many of the men there know him well and speak most highly of him, and I can add my own testimony to that of the others. It seems a pity to let so faithful a servant of the firm die for want of a little first aid----” “Did he send you to beg of me?” asked McNason with a kind of vicious abruptness. Mr. Pitt’s pale face flushed a little. “Certainly not, Mr. McNason! Willie Dove would never beg of any man. He merely told me his case and said: ‘Perhaps Mr. McNason would lend me the money. I would work it all back.’ And to speak the truth, I really thought--yes, sir, I really thought you would be glad to lend it!--even to _give_ it! Two hundred pounds is no more to you than two hundred pence would be to me. But supposing you make it a loan, and have any doubts as to Dove’s ability or willingness to pay it back, I myself will be security for him. I would advance him the money if I had it to spare,--but unfortunately I am rather pressed for cash just now--I also have a large family----” McNason smiled a smile resembling the death-grin of the fabulous dragon of St. George. “A mistake, Pitt!--quite a mistake! Large families merely make the world more difficult to live in and money scarcer to get! Money needs to be kept in close quarters--close, very close quarters! It has a habit of running away unless it is imprisoned, Pitt! It runs away much faster than it runs in! Governments know that!--and kings! And when governments and kings find it slipping through their fingers, they come to Me!--to me, Josiah McNason!--and I tell you what it is, Pitt, I’ve enough to do with lending money to Big Persons and taking securities on Big Things without bothering myself concerning Little Commercials! See? I lend to Royalties, Titles and Magnificences of all classes and all nations,--and I’ve done so much lately in this line that I’m short of money myself just now, Pitt!--ha, ha!--I’m short of money!” Mr. Pitt stared, and was for a moment speechless. He had often thought (taking shame to himself for indulging in such a reflection) that Mr. McNason was certainly a very ugly man, but he had never seen him look uglier than at the present moment. Such a mouthing, wrinkled mask of a face as the firelight now flashed upon was surely not often seen among living humanity. Even the grey-white goatee beard that adorned Josiah’s sharp chin, wagged up and down with its possessor’s silent mirth in a fashion which made its expression abnormally atrocious.