“Well!  I have had nothing to do with that.  You can’t say it’s me,” ejaculated Mr Brammel.  “You have had the management in your own hands, and so you have nobody but yourself to thank for it.  I thought from the beginning how the concern would turn out!”

“Your share, sir, in furthering the interests of the bank we will speak of shortly,” said Michael, turning to the speaker with contempt.  “We have little time for recrimination now.”

“As for recrimination, Mr Allcraft,” interposed Mr Bellamy, “I must be allowed to say, that you betray a very improper spirit in this business—­very—­very.  You are far from being temperate.”

“Temperate!”

“Yes; I said so.”

“Mr Bellamy,” said Allcraft, bursting with rage, “I have been your partner for eight years.  I have not for a moment deserted my post, or slackened in my duty.  I have given my strength, my health, my peace of mind, to the house.  I have drawn less than your clerk from its resources; but I have added to them, wrongfully, cruelly, and unpardonably, from means not my own, which, in common honesty, I ought never to have touched—­which”—­

“Really, really, Mr Allcraft,” said Bellamy, interrupting him, “you have told us every word of this before.”

“Wait, sir,” continued the other.  “I am intemperate, and you shall have my excuse for being so. You, Mr Bellamy, have never devoted one moment of your life to the interests of the house; no, not a moment.  You have, year after year, without the slightest hesitation or remorse, sucked its life-blood from it.  You have borrowed, as these accounts will show, thousands of pounds, and paid them back with promises and words.  You engaged to produce your fair proportion of capital; you have given nothing.  You made grand professions of adding strength and stability to the firm; you have been its stumblingblock and hinderance.”

“Mr Allcraft,” said Bellamy coolly, “you are still a very young man.”

“Have I told the truth?”

“Pshaw, man!  Speak to the point.  Speak to the point, sir.  We have heavy payments due next week.  Are we prepared to meet them?”

“No—­nor shall we be.”

“That’s unfortunate,” added Mr Bellamy, very quietly.  “You are sure of that?  You cannot help us—­with another loan, for instance?”

Michael answered, with determination—­“No.”

“Very well.  No violence, Mr Allcraft, pray.  Such being the case, I shall decline, at present, giving any answer to the unjust, inhuman observations which you have made upon my conduct.  Painful as it is to pass this barbarous treatment over for the present, still my own private affairs shall be as nothing in comparison with the general good.  This provided for, I will protect myself from future insult, depend upon it.  You are wrong, Mr Allcraft—­very wrong.  You shall acknowledge it.  You will be sorry for the expressions which you have cast upon a gentleman, your senior in years, and [here a very loud cough] let me add—­in social station.  Now, sir, let me beg a word or two in private.”