The clerk then pointed to a partition about five feet
six in height, where she was to present it. Going to the partition she
looked about for a door by which to enter, but found none. Looking back
to the clerk for information, she perceived that he was gone.
Pickpockets and thieves instantly occurred to her, but, on searching for
the bank-book and finding that it was safe, she felt relieved. Just as
she was beginning to wonder whether she was not being made game of, she
heard a voice above her, and, looking up, observed a man's head
stretched over the top of the partition and looking down at her.

"Now, then, good woman, what do you want?" said the head.

"I wants a hundred pound," said Mrs Gaff, presenting her cheque in a
somewhat defiant manner, for she began to feel badgered.

The head put over a hand, took the cheque, and then both disappeared.

Mrs Gaff stood for some time waiting anxiously for the result, and as
no result followed, she began again to think of thieves and pickpockets,
and even meditated as to the propriety of setting up a sudden cry of
thieves, murder, and fire, in order to make sure of the clerk being
arrested before he should get quite clear of the building, when she
became aware of a fluttering of some sort just above her. Looking up
she observed her cheque quivering on the top of the partition.
Wondering what this could mean, she gazed at it with an expression of
solemn interest.

Twice the cheque fluttered, with increasing violence each time, as
though it were impatient, and then the head re-appeared suddenly.

"Why don't you take your cheque?" it demanded with some asperity.

"Because I don't want it, young man; I wants my money," retorted Mrs
Gaff, whose ire was beginning to rise.

The head smiled, dropped the cheque on the floor, and, pointing with its
nose to a gentleman who stood behind a long counter in a sort of stall
surrounded with brass rails, told her to present it to the teller, and
she'd get the money. Having said which the head disappeared; but it
might have been noted by a self-possessed observer, that as soon as Mrs
Gaff had picked up the cheque, (bursting two buttons off her gown in the
act), the head re-appeared, grinning in company with several other
heads, all of which grinned and watched the further movements of Mrs
Gaff with interest.

There were four gentlemen standing behind the long counter in brazen
stalls. Three of these Mrs Gaff passed on her way to