Mr Gemp's first act was to spread his blue handkerchief over his knees, and then begin to stare about the room, after carefully hooking himself with his thick oak stick which he passed over his neck and held with both hands as if he felt himself to be rather an errant kind of sheep who needed the restraint of the crook. "Loaded?" he said suddenly, after letting his eyes rest upon the fire-arms. "Oh, yes, Mr Gemp, they are all loaded," replied the manager smiling. "But I suppose I need not get them down; you are not going to make an attack?" "Me? attack? eh? Oh, you're joking. That's a good one. Ha! ha! ha!" Mr Gemp's laugh was not pleasant on account of dental defects. It was rather boisterous too, and his neck shook itself free of the crook; but he hooked himself again, grew composed, and nodded once more in the direction of the chimney. "Them swords sharp?" "As razors, Mr Gemp." "Are they now? Well, that's a blessing. Fire-proof, I suppose?" he added, nodding towards the safe. "Fire-proof, burglar-proof, bank-proof, Mr Gemp," said the manager smiling. "Dixons' neglect nothing for the safety of their customers." "No, they don't, do they?" said Mr Gemp, holding on very tightly to the stick, keeping himself down as it were and safe as well. "No, sir, they neglect nothing." "I say," said Mr Gemp, leaning forward, after a glance over his shoulder towards the bank counter, and Mr Thickens's back, dimly seen through the muslin, "does the new parson bank here?" The manager smiled, and looked very hard at the bulge in his visitor's breast pocket, a look which involuntarily made the old man change the position of his hooked stick by bringing it down across his breast as if to protect the contents. "Now, my dear Mr Gemp, you do not expect an answer to that question. Do you suppose I have ever told anybody that you have been here three times to ask me whether Dixons' would advance you a hundred pounds at five per cent?" "On good security, eh?" interposed the old man sharply; "only on good security." "Exactly, my dear sir. Why, you don't suppose we make advances without?" "No, of course not, eh? Not to anybody, eh, Mr Hallam?" said the old man eagerly. "You could not oblige me now with a hundred, say at seven and a half? I'm a safe man, you know. Say at seven and a half per cent, on my note of hand. You wouldn't, would you?" "No, Mr Gemp, nor yet at ten per cent. Dixons' are not usurers, sir. I can let you have a hundred, sir, any time you like, upon good security, deeds or the like, but not without." "Ha! you are particular. Good way of doing business, sir. Hey, but I like you to be strict." "It is the only safe way of conducting business, Mr Gemp." "I say, though--oh, you are close!--close as a cash-box, Mr Hallam, sir; but what do you think of the new parson?" "Quiet, pleasant, gentlemanly young man, Mr Gemp."