arge force of clerks,
presents very much the appearance of a government department.

On the ground-floor are the offices, with windows opening on the street,
fortified by strong iron bars sufficiently large and close together to
discourage all burglarious attempts.

A large glass door opens into a spacious vestibule where three or four
office-boys are always in waiting.

On the right are the rooms to which the public is admitted, and from
which a narrow passage leads to the principal cash-room.

The offices of the corresponding clerk, book-keeper, and general
accounts are on the left.

At the farther end is a small court on which open seven or eight little
wicket doors. These are kept closed, except on certain days when notes
are due; and then they are indispensable.

M. Fauvel's private office is on the first floor over the offices, and
leads into his elegant private apartments.

This private office communicates directly with the bank by means of
a narrow staircase, which opens into the room occupied by the head
cashier.

This room, which in the bank goes by the name of the "cash-office," is
proof against all attacks, no matter how skilfully planned; indeed, it
could almost withstand a regular siege, sheeted as it is like a monitor.

The doors, and the partition where the wicket door is cut, are covered
with thick sheets of iron; and a heavy grating protects the fireplace.

Fastened in the wall by enormous iron clamps is a safe, a formidable
and fantastic piece of furniture, calculated to fill with envy the poor
devil who easily carries his fortune in a pocket-book.

This safe, which is considered the masterpiece of the firm of Becquet,
is six feet in height and four and a half in width, made entirely of
wrought iron, with triple sides, and divided into isolated compartments
in case of fire.

The safe is opened by an odd little key, which is, however, the least
important part of the mechanism. Five movable steel buttons, upon which
are engraved all the letters of the alphabet, constitute the real power
of this ingenious safe.

Before inserting the key into the lock, the letters on the buttons must
be in the exact position in which they were placed when the safe was
locked.

In M. Fauvel's bank, as everywhere, the safe was always closed with a
word that was changed from time to time.

This word was known only to the head of the bank and the cashier, each
of whom had also a key to the safe.

In a for