agitation,
which, however, she determinedly subdued by the force of a strong will.

"If you go to yonder rail and present your cheque," replied the clerk
kindly, "you'll get the money."

"Present what, young man?"

"Your cheque," replied the clerk.

"What's that?"

"Have you not a cheque-book--or a slip of paper to--"

"Oh! ay, a _book_. Of course I've got a book, young man."

Saying this, Mrs Gaff, (for it was she), produced from a huge bag the
bank-book that had erstwhile reposed in the mysterious tea-caddy.

"Have you no other book than this?"

"No, young man," replied Mrs Gaff, feeling, but not exhibiting, slight
alarm.

The clerk, after glancing at the book, and with some curiosity at its
owner, then explained that a cheque-book was desirable, although not
absolutely necessary, and went and got one, and showed her the use of
it,--how the sum to be drawn should be entered with the date, etcetera,
on the margin in figures, and then the cheque itself drawn out in words,
"_not in figures_," and signed; after which he advised Mrs Gaff to draw
out a cheque on the spot for what she wanted.

"But, young man," said Mrs Gaff, who had listened to it all with an
expression of imbecility on her good-looking face, "I never wrote a
stroke in my life 'xcept once, when I tried to show my Billy how to do
it, and only made a big blot on his copy, for which I gave him a slap on
the face, poor ill-used boy."

"Well, then, tell me how much you want, and I will write it out for
you," said the clerk, sitting down at a table and taking up a pen.

Mrs Gaff pondered for a few seconds, then she drew Tottie aside and
carried on an earnest and animated conversation with her in hoarse
whispers, accompanied by much nodding and quivering of both bonnets,
leading to the conclusion that what the one propounded the other
heartily agreed to.

Returning to the table, Mrs Gaff said that she wanted a hundred pounds.

"How much?" demanded the clerk in surprise.

"A hundred pound, young man," repeated Mrs Gaff, somewhat sternly, for
she had made up her mind to go through with it come what might; "if ye
have as much in the shop just now--if not I'll take the half, and call
back for the other half to-morry--though it be raither a longish walk
fro' Cove and back for a woman o' my size."

The clerk smiled, wrote out the cheque, and bade her sign it with a
cross. She did so, not only with a cross, but with two large and
irregular blots.