“Take it and change it,” he threw his Five hundred down, but recovered it from the enemy’s grasp; and with a “one, two, three,” banged his hundreds on the table:  for which he had the loathsome receipt handed to him.

“How,” he asked, chokingly, “did Mr. Samuels know I could—­I had money?”

“Why, sir, you see,” the man, as one who throws off a mask, smiled cordially, after buttoning up the notes; “credit ’d soon give up the ghost, if it hadn’t its own dodges,’ as I may say.  This is only a feeler on Mr. Samuels’ part.  He heard of his things going to pledge.  Halloa! he sings out.  And tradesmen are human, sir.  Between us, I side with gentlemen, in most cases.  Hows’-ever, I’m, so to speak, in Mr. Samuels’ pay.  A young gentleman in debt, give him a good fright, out comes his money, if he’s got any.  Sending of a bill receipted’s a good trying touch.  It’s a compliment to him to suppose he can pay.  Mr. Samuels, sir, wouldn’t go issuing a warrant:  if he could, he wouldn’t.  You named a warrant; that set me up to it.  I shouldn’t have dreamed of a gentleman supposing it otherwise.  Didn’t you notice me show a wall of a face?  I shouldn’t ha’ dared to have tried that on an old hand—­begging your pardon; I mean a real—­a scoundrel.  The regular ones must see features:  we mustn’t be too cunning with them, else they grow suspicious:  they’re keen as animals; they are.  Good afternoon to you, sir.”

Algernon heard the door shut.  He reeled into a chair, and muffling his head in his two arms on the table, sobbed desperately; seeing himself very distinctly reflected in one of the many facets of folly.  Daylight became undesireable to him.  He went to bed.

A man who can, in such extremities of despair, go premeditatingly to his pillow, obeys an animal instinct in pursuit of oblivion, that will befriend his nerves.  Algernon awoke in deep darkness, with a delicious sensation of hunger.  He jumped up.  Six hundred and fifty pounds of the money remained intact; and he was joyful.  He struck a light to look at his watch:  the watch had stopped;—­that was a bad sign.  He could not forget it.  Why had his watch stopped?  A chilling thought as to whether predestination did not govern the world, allayed all tumult in his mind.  He dressed carefully, and soon heard a great City bell, with horrid gulfs between the strokes, tell him that the hour was eleven toward midnight.  “Not late,” he said.

“Who’d have thought it?” cried a voice on the landing of the stairs, as he went forth.

It was Sedgett.

Algernon had one inclination to strangle, and another to mollify the wretch.

“Why, sir, I’ve been lurking heer for your return from your larks.  Never guessed you was in.”

“It’s no use,” Algernon began.