e swinging, glazed doors of the Bank, and stood on the broad
step without, at the witching hour of twelve, he twirled his small black
moustache so as to display to advantage the sparkling diamond ring which
encircled the little finger of his left hand. His Semitic features wore
an expression of great self-satisfaction, and his knowing air betokened
intimate knowledge of the world and all that therein is. He nodded
familiarly to a couple of young men who passed by, and glanced with the
appreciative eye of a connoisseur at the shop-girls who were walking
briskly to their dinners.

Loitering across the pavement he stood upon the curbing, and looked
wistfully up and down the street. Presently there hove in sight a figure
that riveted his attention: it was Rachel Varnhagen, with muslins
blowing in the breeze and ribbons which streamed behind, approaching
like a ship in full sail.

The gold-clerk crossed over the street to meet her, and raised his hat.

"You're in an awful hurry. Where bound, Rachel?"

"If _your_ old Dad told _you_ to go and buy a gold watch and chain,
_you'd_ be in a hurry, lest he might change his mind."

"My soul hankers after something dearer than watches and chains. If your
Dad would give me leave, I'd annex his most precious jewel before he
could say, 'Knife!' He'd never get a chance to change his mind. But he
always says, 'My boy, you wait till you're a manager, and can give me a
big overdraft.' At that rate we shall have to wait till Doomsday."

"The watch is at Tresco's. Come along: help me turn the shop upside down
to find the dandiest."

"How d'you manage to get round the Governor, Rachel? I'd like to know
the dodge."

"He wouldn't mind if _you_ fell off a stack of bales and broke your
neck. He'd say, 'Thank God! that solves that liddle difficulty.'"

"Wool bales? Has wool gone up? I don't understand."

"Of course you don't, stupid. If you were on the top of a pile of
swaying bales, old Podge would say, 'Packett, take away the ladder: that
nice young man must stay there. It's better for him to die than marry
Rachel--she'd drive him mad with bills in a month.'"

"Oh, that wouldn't trouble me--I'd draw on _him_."

"Oh, would you?" Rachel laughed sceptically. "You don't know the Gov. if
you think that. You couldn't bluff him into paying a shilling. But _I_
manage him all right. _I_ can get what I want, from a trip to Sydney to
a gold watch, dear boy."

"Then why don't you squeeze a hone