B. "You know that he is a brother director with
our Colonel in the Bundelcund Bank?"

"Gracious Heavens!" I cried, in sincere anxiety, "nothin has happened, I
hope, to the Bundelcund Bank?"

"No," answers the other, "nothing has happened, the good ship is safe,
sir, as yet. But she has narrowly escaped a great danger, Pendennis,"
cries F. B., gripping my arm with great energy, "there was a traitor in
her crew--she has weathered the storm nobly--who would have sent her on
the rocks, sir, who would have scuttled her at midnight."

"Pray drop your nautical metaphors, and tell me what you mean," cries F.
B.'s companion, and Bayham continued his narration.

"Were you in the least conversant with City affairs," he said, "or did
you deign to visit the spot where merchants mostly congregate, you
would have heard the story, which was over the whole City yesterday, and
spread dismay from Threadneedle Street to Leadenhall. The story is, that
the firm of Hobson Brothers and Newcome, yesterday refused acceptance of
thirty thousand pounds' worth of bills of the Bundelcund Banking Company
of India.

"The news came like a thunderclap upon the London Board of Directors,
who had received no notice of the intentions of Hobson Brothers, and
caused a dreadful panic amongst the shareholders of the concern. The
board-room was besieged by colonels and captains, widows and orphans;
within an hour after protest of bills were taken up, and you will see,
in the City article of the Globe this very evening, an announcement
that henceforward the house of Baines and Jolly, of Job Court, will meet
engagements of the Bundelcund Banking Company of India, being provided
with ample funds to do honour to every possible liability of that
Company. But the shares fell, sir, in consequence of the panic. I hope
they will rally. I trust and believe they will rally. For our good
Colonel's sake and that of his friends, for the sake of the innocent
children sporting by the Serpentine yonder.

"I had my suspicions when they gave that testimonial," said F. B. "In
my experience of life, sir, I always feel rather shy about testimonials,
and when a party gets one, somehow look out to hear of his smashing the
next month. Absit omen! I will say again. I like not the going down of
yonder little yacht."

The Globe sure enough contained a paragraph that evening announcing the
occurrence which Mr. Bayham had described, and the temporary panic which
it had occasioned,