ner seemed
confused. After some talk on general subjects, Losely said that he had
occasion to go to London next morning for a few days on private business
of his own. This annoyed Mr. Gunston. He observed that Losely's absence
just then would be inconvenient. He reminded him that a tradesman,
who lived at a distance, was coming over the next day to be paid for a
vinery he had lately erected, and on the charge for which there was a
dispute. Could not Losely at least stay to settle it? Losely replied,
'that he had already, by correspondence, adjusted the dispute, having
suggested deductions which the tradesman had agreed to, and that Mr.
Gunston would only have to give a cheque for the balance--viz. L270.'
Thereon Mr. Gunston remarked: 'If you were not in the habit of paying my
bills for me out of what you receive, you would know that I seldom give
cheques. I certainly shall not give one now, for I have the money in the
house.' Losely observed 'That is a bad habit of yours keeping large
sums in your own house. You may be robbed.' Gunston answered 'Safer
than lodging large sums in a country bank. Country banks break. My
grandfather lost L1,000 by the failure of a country bank; and my father,
therefore, always took his payments in cash, remitting them to London
from time to time as he went thither himself. I do the same, and I have
never been robbed of a farthing that I know of. Who would rob a great
house like this, full of menservants?'--'That's true,' said Losely; 'so
if you are sure you have as much by you, you will pay the bill and have
done with it. I shall be back before Sparks the builder comes to be
paid for the new barn to the home farm-that will be L600; but I shall be
taking money for timber next week. He can be paid out of that."

GUNSTON.--'No. I will pay Sparks, too, out of what I have in my bureau;
and the timber-merchant can pay his debt into my London banker's.'

LOSELY.--'DO you mean that you have enough for both these bills actually
in the house?'

GUNSTON.--'Certainly, in the bureau in my study. I don't know how much
I've got. It may be L1,500--it may be L1,700. I have not counted; I
am such a bad man of business; but I am sure it is more than L1,400.'
Losely made some jocular observation to the effect that if Gunston
never kept an account of what he had, he could never tell whether he
was robbed, and, therefore, never would be robbed; since, according to
Othello,

'He that is robbed, not wan