s it dwelt in his memory, the warmth and color of it, its
uplifting and transfiguring quality.

The man behind the pigeon-hole heard him intently.

"Yes," he said again, as Lucas finished. "You are de man. Ve do not
reguire further broof, Mr. Lugas."

He produced a slip of paper and a pen which he laid on the ledge
before his pigeon-hole.

"I am instrugted to say dat if you vill fill in and sign dis cheque,
ve vill cash it."

"Eh?" Lucas was slow to understand.

"Ve vill cash it," repeated the other. "You fill it in--and sign it--
and I vill cash it now."

"But"--Lucas took the pen from him in mere obedience to his gesture--
"but--what for?"

"My instrugtions are to cash it--no more!"

Lucas stared at the tight-lipped, elderly face, like the face of a
wise and distrustful gnome, and held the pen uncertainly above the
cheque form.

"How much am I to write?" he asked.

"I haf no instrugtions about de amount," was the reply.

"But," cried Lucas, "I might write fifty thousand dollars!"

"My instrugtions are to cash de cheque ven you haf written it."

"Oh!" said Lucas.

He stared incredulously at the face for some moments and then wrote a
cheque for the sum he had named--fifty thousand dollars. He was about
to add his signature when something occurred to him.

"Is it because I went across the road to that little woman in
Tambov?" he asked suddenly.

The whiskered face answered composedly: "No. It is because you went
out of your rooms and slept on de stairs."

"Because"--he seemed puzzled--"but that is a thing--why, any
gentleman would do it."

"Dose are my instrugtions," said the man behind the pigeon-hole.

"I see."

Lucas stood upright, the uncompleted cheque in his fingers. All
surprise and excitement had vanished from his regard; he seemed
taller and stronger than he had been a minute before. He had yet many
calls to make, and, in the nature of things, many rebuffs to receive,
before he went home to supper; and the money in his pocket totaled
seventy-five cents. He needed new boots, new clothes, leisure,
consideration, and a sight of his native land; in short, he needed
fifty thousand dollars.

"You will cash this because I didn't fail to respect a helpless
woman?" he asked, in level tones.

The whiskered cashier replied: "Yes. Because you gave up your room
and kept watch on de stairs."

Lucas laughed gently. "That is not the way to deal with a gentleman,"
he said. "I will make your firm