"Then, before we close this little meeting, I suppose it only remains for me to ask you if you have any questions to ask of the firm, any demands to make?" Hallam rose from behind the table covered with books and balance-sheets in the manager's room of the bank, placed his hand in his breast, and in a quiet, dignified way, replied: "Questions to ask, Sir Gordon--demands to make? No; only to repeat my former question. Are you satisfied?" "_I_ did reply to that," said Sir Gordon, who looked brown and sunburned, consequent upon six weeks' yachting in the Mediterranean; "but have you no other question or demand to make previous to your marriage?" "Excuse me," said Mr Trampleasure, "excuse me. I want to say one word. Hem! hem!--I er--I er--" "What is it, Trampleasure?" said Sir Gordon. "It is in regard to a question I believe Mr Hallam is about to put to the firm. I may say that Mrs Trampleasure drew my attention to the matter, consequent upon a rumour in the town in connection with Mr Hallam's marriage." Hallam raised his eyebrows and smiled. "Have they settled the date?" he said pleasantly. "No, sir, not that I am aware of; but Mrs Trampleasure has been given to understand that Mr Hallam, upon his marriage, will wish, and is about to send in a request for the apartments connected with this bank that I have always occupied. It would be a great inconvenience to Mrs Trampleasure with our family--I mean to me--to have to move." "My dear Sir Gordon," said Hallam, interrupting, "allow me to set Mr Trampleasure at rest. I have taken the little Manor House, and have given orders for the furniture." "There, Trampleasure," said Sir Gordon. "Don't take any notice of gossips for the future." "Hem! I will not; but Mr Gemp is so well-informed generally." "That he is naturally wrong sometimes," said Sir Gordon. "By-the-way, are they ever going to put that man under the pump? Now, Mr Hallam, have you anything more to ask?" "Certainly not, Sir Gordon," replied the manager stiffly. "I understand your allusion, of course; but I have only to say that I look upon my engagement here as a commercial piece of business to be strictly adhered to, and that I know of nothing more degrading to a man than making every change in his life an excuse for asking an increase of salary." "And you do not wish to take a holiday trip on the occasion of your wedding?" "No, Sir Gordon." "But the lady?" "Miss Luttrell knows that she is about to marry a business man, Sir Gordon, and accepts her fate," said Hallam with a smile. "Of course you can take a month. I'm sure Trampleasure and Thickens would manage everything in your absence." "Excuse me, Sir Gordon, I have no doubt whatever that everything would run like a repeater-watch in my absence; but, with the responsibility of manager of this bank, I could not feel comfortable to run away just in our busiest time. Later on I may take a trip."