After the events narrated in the last chapter, I returned to London. I
arrived early in the morning, and, meeting my companions, we had a long
and anxious talk over my near-approaching and all-important interview
with that great Sir of the London world, the manager of the Bank of
England. Happy for us if in that interview the manager had asked for the
customary references, or had used ordinary business precaution and
investigated me, or, indeed, had acted as any ordinary business man
would have done under ordinary circumstances. Our own conclusions were
that the fact that I was already a depositor, together with the
impression made by the letters and my L10,000 checks, would put the
thing through. Yet we, of course, felt that a thousand things could
arise to block our way effectually. A look, a word too much, a shadow,
or a smile in my face might ruin all; but still, after providing so far
as possible for every contingency, after planning what was to be said or
left unsaid at the interview, after my companions filling me full of
advice, we felt after all that everything must be left to my discretion,
to say and to act as I thought best under the circumstances.

This council of war was held in my room in the Grosvenor. I had arrived
from Paris at 6 o'clock. Mac and I breakfasted together at 8. George
joined us at 9, and we talked until 10, then we set out together for the
bank. Arriving there, they remained outside, watching for my
reappearance. Entering the bank, I sent in my card (F. A. Warren) by a
liveried flunkey, and was immediately ushered into the manager's parlor.
He has long since gone over to the majority, so here I will not so much
as name or describe him. Sufficient to say, that as soon as I set eyes
upon him I thought that we would have no particular difficulty in
carrying out our plans, save only so far as details went.

The manager, who had been told that I was a railroad contractor,
expressed himself highly gratified to have me do my business through the
bank, and said they would do all in their power to accommodate me. I
told him that, of course, I was financing large sums, and would require
more or less discounts before the year was out. Then I came away, and
meeting my two friends outside of the bank, in answer to their eager
inquiries as to what had transpired, I told them that, so far as the
bank officials were concerned, our way to the vaults of the bank was
wide open.

So ended the last sc