ing notes, a smile indicative of certainty of success
lit up his countenance; for he was thoroughly familiar with the figures
that entered into his calculations, and, withal, Hans Shund invested
with offices and dignity could not but strike him as a comical anomaly.
"Happy thought! My father travels half of the globe; many wonderful
things come under his observation, no doubt, but the greatest of all
prodigies is to be witnessed right here: Hans Shund, the thief,
swindler, usurer, wanton--mayor and law-maker! And it is the venerable
sire _Progress_ that alone could have begotten the prodigy of a Hans
Shund invested with honors. My Lord Progress is therefore himself a
prodigy--a very extraordinary offspring of the human mind, the
culminating point of enlightenment. Admitting humanity to be ten
thousand million years old, or even more, as the most learned of
scientific men have accurately calculated it, during this rather long
series of years nature never produced a marvel that might presume to
claim rank with progress. Progress is the acme of human culture--about
this there can be no question. Yes, indeed, _the acme_." And he
finished the last word in the last note. "Humanity will therefore have
to face about and begin again at the beginning; for after progress
nothing else is possible." He rang his bell.

"Take these three notes to their respective addresses immediately,"
said he to the servant who had answered the ring. Greifmann stepped
into the front office, and gave an order to the cashier. Returning to
his own cabinet, he locked the door that opened into the front office.
He then examined several iron safes, the modest and smooth polish of
which suggested neither the hardness of their iron nature nor the
splendor of their treasures.

"Gold or paper?" said the banker to himself. After some indecision, he
opened the second of the safes. This he effected by touching several
concealed springs, using various keys, and finally shoving back a huge
bolt by means of a very small blade. He drew out twenty packages of
paper, and laid them in two rows on the table. He undid the tape
encircling the packages, and then it appeared that every leaf of both
rows was a five-hundred florin banknote. The banker had exposed a
considerable sum on the table. A sudden thought caused him to smile,
and he shoved the banknotes where they came more prominently into view.

The blooming double millionaire entered.

"Sit down a moment, friend