column that had stormed a breach! You don't expect to
find the undisciplined masses of mankind more calmly courageous than the
veterans of a hundred fights."

A wild hoarse cheer burst forth in the street at this moment, and
drowned all other sounds.

"What is it now? Are they going to attack us here?" cried the Earl.

The cry again arose, louder and wilder, and the shouts of "Dunn forever!
Dunn forever!" burst from a thousand voices.

"The placard has given great satisfaction, sir," said Hankes,
reappearing. "Confidence is fully restored."

And, truly, it was strange to see how quickly a popular sentiment spread
its influence; for they who now came forward to exchange their notes
for gold no longer wore the sturdy air of defiance of the earlier
applicants, but approached half reluctantly, and with an evident sense
of shame, as though yielding to an ignoble impulse of cowardice and
fear. The old Earl's haughty stare and insolent gaze were little
calculated to rally the diffident; for with his double eyeglass he
scanned each new-comer with the air of a man saying, "I mark, and I 'll
not forget you!"

What a contrast was Dunn's expression,--that look so full of gentle pity
and forgiveness! Nothing of anger, no resentfulness, disfigured the
calm serenity of his pale features. He had a word of recognition--even
a smile and a kind inquiry--for some of those who now bashfully tried
to screen themselves from notice. The great rush was already over; a
visible change had come over that vast multitude who so lately clamored
aloud for gold. The very aspect of that calm, unmoved face was a
terrible rebuke to their unworthy terror.

"It's nigh over, sir," whispered Hankes to his chief, as he stood with
his massive gold watch in the hollow of his hand. "Seven hundred only
have been paid out in the last twelve minutes. The battle is finished!"

The vociferous cheering without continued unceasingly, and yells for
Dunn to come forth and show himself filled the air.

"Do you hear them?" asked Lord Glengariff, looking eagerly at Dunn.

"Yes, my Lord. It is a very quick reaction. Popular opinion is generally
correct in the main; but it is rare to find it reversing its own
judgments so suddenly."

"Very dispassionately spoken, sir," said the old Lord, haughtily; "but
what if you had been unprepared for this onslaught to-day,--what if
they had succeeded in compelling you to suspend payments?"

"Had such been possible, my Lord,