name
'Lionel Redlines,' he was off in a jiffy to the Board room with the
news."

"One would have thought a little foresight might have saved him from
such a stupid mistake as this," said Dunn, gravely. "A mode of living
so disproportioned to his well-known means must inevitably have elicited
remark."

"At any other moment, so it would," said Hankes; "but we live in a
gambling age, and no one can say where, when, the remedy be curative
or poisonous." Then, with a quick start round, he said, "Hankes, do
you remember that terrific accident which occurred a few years ago in
France,--at Angers, I think the place was called? A regiment in marching
order had to cross a suspension-bridge, and coming on with the measured
tramp of the march, the united force was too much for the strength of
the structure; the iron beams gave way, and all were precipitated into
the stream below. This is an apt illustration of what we call credit. It
will bear, and with success, considerable pressure if it be irregular,
dropping, and incidental. Let the forces, however, be at once
consentaneous and united,--let the men keep step,--and down comes the
bridge! Ah, Hankes, am I not right?"

"I believe you are, sir," said Hankes, who was not quite certain that he
comprehended the illustration.

"His Lordship is waiting breakfast, sir," said a smartly dressed footman
at the door.

"I will be down in a moment. I believe, Hankes, we have not forgotten
anything? The Cloyne and Carrick Company had better be wound up; and
that waste-land project--let me have the papers to look over. You think
we ought to discount those bills of Barrington's?"

"I'm sure of it, sir. The people at the Royal Bank would take them
to-morrow."

"The credit of the Bank must be upheld, Hankes. The libellous articles
of those newspapers are doing us great damage, timid shareholders assail
us with letters, and some have actually demanded back their deposits. I
have it, Hankes!" cried he, as a sudden thought struck him,--"I have it!
Take a special train at once for town, and fetch me the balance-sheet
and the list of all convertible securities. You can be back here--let
us see--by to-morrow at noon, or, at latest, to-morrow evening. By that
time I shall have matured my plan."

"I should like to hear some hint of what you intend," said Hankes.

"You shall know all to-morrow," said he, as he nodded a good-bye, and
descended to the breakfast-room. He turned short, however, at