He had for months spent his days poring over the books, fabricating and maturing a false balance-sheet.  Suspecting that the cashier was watching him, he one day handed him his dismissal, polite but peremptory, and went on cooking his accounts with surpassing dignity.  Rage supplying the place of courage, the cashier let him know that he—­poor, despised Noah Skinner—­had kept genuine books while he had been preparing false ones.

He was at the mercy of his servant, and bowed his pride to flatter Skinner, and soon saw this was the way to make him a clerk of wax.  He became his accomplice, and on this his master told him everything it was impossible to keep from him.  At this moment Captain Dodd was announced.  Mr. Hardie explained to his new ally the danger that threatened him from Miss Julia Dodd.

“And now,” said he, “the women have sent the father to soften me.  I shall be told his girl will die if she can’t have my boy.”

But, instead of the heartbroken father he expected, in came the gallant sailor, with a brown cheek reddened with triumph and excitement, who held out his hand cordially, almost shouting in a jovial voice, “Well, sir, here I am, just come ashore, and visiting you before my very wife; what d’ye think of that?”

Hardie stared, and remained on his guard, puzzled; while David Dodd showed his pocket-book, and in the pride of his heart, and the fever in his blood—­for there were two red spots on his cheeks all the time—­told the cold pair its adventures in a few glowing words; the Calcutta firm—­the two pirates—­the hurricane—­the wrecks, the land-sharks he had saved it from.  “And here it is safe, in spite of them all, and you must be good enough to take care of it for me.”

He then opened the pocket-book, and Mr. Hardie ran over the notes and bills, and said the amount was L14,010 12s. 6d.

Dodd asked for a receipt, and while it was written poor Dodd’s heart overflowed.

“It’s my children’s fortune, you see; I don’t look on a sixpence of it as mine.  It belongs to my little Julia, bless her, she’s a rosebud if ever there was one; and my boy Edward, he’s the honestest young chap you ever saw; but how could they miss either good looks or good hearts, and her children?  Here’s a Simple Simon vaunting his own flesh and blood, but you know how it is with us fathers; our hearts are so full of the little darlings, out it must come.  You can imagine how joyful I feel at saving their fortune from land-sharks, and landing it safe in an honest man’s hands.”

Skinner gave him the receipt.

“All right, little gentleman; now my heart is relieved of such a weight.  Good-bye, shake hands.  God bless you!  God bless you both!” And with this he was out and making ardently for Albion Villa.

* * * * *

Ten minutes later the door burst open, and David Dodd stood on the threshold, looking terrible.  He seemed black and white with anger and anxiety.  Making a great effort to control his agitation, he said, “I have changed my mind, sir; I want my money back.”