The old gentleman staggered for a moment, and caught at the mantelpiece, for the blow was a heavy one, and as unexpected as it was heavy.  But he recovered himself in an instant, for it was one of the peculiarities of his character that his spirits always seemed to rise to the occasion in the face of urgent adversity—­in short, he possessed an extraordinary share of moral courage.

“Indeed,” he said indignantly, “indeed, it is a pity that you did not tell me that at once, Mr. Quest; it would have saved me from putting myself in a false position by proposing a business arrangement which is not acceptable.  As regards the interest, I admit that it is as you say, and I very much regret it.  That stupid fellow George is always so dreadfully behindhand with his accounts that I can never get anything settled.” (He did not state, and indeed did not know, that the reason that the unfortunate George was behindhand was that there were no accounts to make up, or rather that they were all on the wrong side of the ledger).  “I will have that matter seen to at once.  Of course, business people are quite right to consider their due, and I do not blame Messrs. Cossey in the matter, not in the least.  Still, I must say that, considering the long and intimate relationship that has for nearly two centuries existed between their house and my family, they might—­well—­have shown a little more consideration.”

“Yes,” said Mr. Quest, “I daresay that the step strikes you as a harsh one.  To be perfectly frank with you, Mr. de la Molle, it struck me as a very harsh one; but, of course, I am only a servant, and bound to carry out my instructions.  I sympathise with you very much—­very much indeed.”

“Oh, don’t do that,” said the old gentleman.  “Of course, other arrangements must be made; and, much as it will pain me to terminate my connection with Messrs. Cossey, they shall be made.”

“But I think,” went on the lawyer, without any notice of his interruption, “that you misunderstand the matter a little.  Cossey and Son are only a trading corporation, whose object is to make money by lending it, or otherwise—­at all hazards to make money.  The kind of feeling that you allude to, and that might induce them, in consideration of long intimacy and close connection in the past, to forego the opportunity of so doing and even to run a risk of loss, is a thing which belongs to former generations.  But the present is a strictly commercial age, and we are the most commercial of the trading nations.  Cossey and Son move with the times, that is all, and they would rather sell up a dozen families who had dealt with them for two centuries than lose five hundred pounds, provided, of course, that they could do so without scandal and loss of public respect, which, where a banking house is concerned, also means a loss of custom.  I am a great lover of the past myself, and believe that our ancestors’ ways of doing business were, on the whole, better and more charitable than ours, but I have to make my living and take the world as I find it, Mr. de la Molle.”