of your by-laws, and your votes in this capacity, and your votes
in that capacity, and your official rights, and your individual rights,
and other people's rights who are only you again, there are no rights
left for me. Everybody else's rights are my wrongs. What's the use of my
having a voice if it's always drowned? I might as well be dumb, and
it would be much less aggravating. I'm not a-going to stand that, you
know.'

'No!' said Tigg in an insinuating tone.

'No!' returned Jonas, 'I'm not indeed. I'll play old Gooseberry with the
office, and make you glad to buy me out at a good high figure, if you
try any of your tricks with me.'

'I give you my honour--' Montague began.

'Oh! confound your honour,' interrupted Jonas, who became more coarse
and quarrelsome as the other remonstrated, which may have been a part of
Mr Montague's intention; 'I want a little more control over the money.
You may have all the honour, if you like; I'll never bring you to book
for that. But I'm not a-going to stand it, as it is now. If you should
take it into your honourable head to go abroad with the bank, I don't
see much to prevent you. Well! That won't do. I've had some very good
dinners here, but they'd come too dear on such terms; and therefore,
that won't do.'

'I am unfortunate to find you in this humour,' said Tigg, with a
remarkable kind of smile; 'for I was going to propose to you--for your
own advantage; solely for your own advantage--that you should venture a
little more with us.'

'Was you, by G--?' said Jonas, with a short laugh.

'Yes. And to suggest,' pursued Montague, 'that surely you have friends;
indeed, I know you have; who would answer our purpose admirably, and
whom we should be delighted to receive.'

'How kind of you! You'd be delighted to receive 'em, would you?' said
Jonas, bantering.

'I give you my sacred honour, quite transported. As your friends,
observe!'

'Exactly,' said Jonas; 'as my friends, of course. You'll be very much
delighted when you get 'em, I have no doubt. And it'll be all to my
advantage, won't it?'

'It will be very much to your advantage,' answered Montague poising a
brush in each hand, and looking steadily upon him. 'It will be very much
to your advantage, I assure you.'

'And you can tell me how,' said Jonas, 'can't you?'

'SHALL I tell you how?' returned the other.

'I think you had better,' said Jonas. 'Strange things have been done
in the Assurance way before now, by s