hard cash-第63章

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ious；　and　sagacious。　He　said　to　himself；　〃What　has　come　to　Skinner？　I　must　know。〃　So　he　quietly　watched　his　watcher；　and　soon　satisfied　himself　he　suspected　something　amiss。　From　that　hour　Skinner　was　a　doomed　clerk。


It　was　two　o'clock：　Hardie　had　just　arrived；　and　sat　in　the　parlour；　Cato…like；　and　cooking。

Skinner　was　in　high　spirits：　it　was　owing　to　his　presence　of　mind　the　bank　had　not　been　broken　some　hours　ago　by　Maxley。　So　now；　while　concluding　his　work；　he　was　enjoying　by　anticipation　his　employer's　gratitude。　〃He　can't　hold　aloof　after　this；〃　said　Skinner；　〃he　must　honour　me　with　his　confidence。　And　I　will　deserve　it。　I　do　deserve　it。〃

A　grave；　calm；　passionless　voice　invited　him　into　the　parlour。

He　descended　from　his　desk　and　went　in；　swelling　with　demure　complacency。

He　found　Mr。　Hardie　seated　garbling　his　accounts　with　surpassing　dignity。　The　great　man　handed　him　an　envelope；　and　cooked　majestic　on。　A　wave　of　that　imperial　hand；　and　Skinner　had　mingled　with　the　past。

For　know　that　the　envelope　contained　three　things：　a　cheque　for　a　month's　wages；　a　character；　and　a　dismissal；　very　polite　and　equally　peremptory。

Skinner　stood　paralysed：　the　complacency　died　out　of　his　face；　and　rueful　wonder　came　instead。　It　was　some　time　before　he　could　utter　a　word：　at　last　he　faltered；　〃Turn　me　away；　sir？　turn　away　Noah　Skinner？　Your　father　would　never　have　said　such　a　word　to　_my_　father。〃　Skinner　uttered　this　his　first　remonstrance　in　a　voice　trembling　with　awe；　but　gathered　courage　when　he　found　he　had　done　it；　yet　lived。

Mr。　Hardie　evaded　his　expostulation　by　a　very　simple　means：　he　made　no　reply；　but　continued　his　work；　dignified　as　Brutus；　inexorable　as　Fate；　cool　as　Cucumber。

Skinner's　anger　began　to　rise；　he　watched　Mr。　Hardie　in　silence；　and　said　to　himself；　〃Curse　you！　you　were　born　without　a　heart！〃

He　waited；　however；　for　some　sign　of　relenting；　and；　hoping　for　it　the　water　came　into　his　own　eyes。　But　Hardie　was　impassive　as　ice。

Then　the　little　clerk；　mortified　to　the　core　as　well　as　wounded；　ground　his　teeth　and　drew　a　little　nearer　to　this　incarnate　Arithmetic；　and　said　with　an　excess　of　obsequiousness；　〃Will　you　condescend　to　give　me　a　reason　for　turning　me　away　all　in　a　moment　after　five…and…thirty　years'　faithful　services？〃

〃Men　of　business　do　not　deal　in　reasons；〃　was　the　cool　reply：　〃it　is　enough　for　you　that　I　give　you　an　excellent　character；　and　that　we　part　good　friends。〃

〃That　we　do　not；〃　replied　Skinner　sharply：　〃if　we　stay　together　we　are　friends；　but　we　part　enemies；　if　we　do　part。〃

〃As　you　please；　Mr。　Skinner。　I　will　detain　you　no　longer。〃

And　Mr。　Hardie　waved　him　away　so　grandly　that　he　started　and　almost　ran　to　the　door。　When　he　felt　the　handle；　it　acted　like　a　prop　to　his　heart。　He　stood　firm；　and　rage　supplied　the　place　of　steady　courage。　He　clung　to　the　door；　and　whispered　at　his　mastersuch　a　whisper：　so　loud；　so　cutting；　so　full　of　meaning　and　malice；　it　was　like　a　serpent　hissing　at　a　man。

〃But　I'll　give　_you_　a　reason；　a　good　reason；　why　you　had　better　not　insult　me　so　cruel：　and　what　is　more；　I'll　give　you　two：　and　one　is　that　but　for　me　the　bank　must　have　closed　this　day　at　ten　o'clockay；　you　may　stare；　it　was　I　saved　it；　not　youand　the　other　is　that；　if　you　make　an　enemy　of　me；　you　are　done　for。　I　know　too　much　to　be　made　an　enemy　of；　sira　great　deal　too　much。〃

At　this　Mr。　Hardie　raised　his　head　from　his　book　and　eyed　his　crouching　venomous　assailant　full　in　the　face；　majestically；　as　one　can　fancy　a　lion　rearing　his　ponderous　head；　and　looking　lazily　and　steadily　at　a　snake　that　has　just　hissed　in　a　corner。　Each　word　of　Skinner's　was　a　barbed　icicle　to　him；　yet　not　a　muscle　of　his　close　countenance　betrayed　his　inward　suffering。

One　thing；　however；　even　he　could　not　master：　his　blood；　it　retired　from　that　stoical　cheek　to　the　chilled　and　foreboding　heart；　and　the　sudden　pallor　of　the　resolute　face　told　Skinner　his　shafts　had　gone　home。　〃Come；　sir；〃　said　he；　affecting　to　mingle　good　fellowship　with　his　defiance；　〃why　bundle　me　off　these　premises；　when　you　will　be　bundled　off　them　yourself　before　the　week　is　out？〃

〃You　insolent　scoundrel！　Humph！　Explain；　Mr。　Skinner。〃

〃Ah！　what；　have　I　warmed　your　marble　up　a　bit？　Yes；　I'll　explain。　The　bank　is　rotten；　and　can't　last　forty…eight　hours。〃

〃Oh；　indeed！　blighted　in　a　dayby　the　dismissal　of　Mr。　Noah　Skinner。　Do　not　repeat　that　after　you　have　been　turned　into　the　streets；　or　you　will　be　indicted：　at　present　we　are　confidential。　Anything　more　before　you　quit　the　rotten　bank？〃

〃Yes；　sir；　plenty。　I'll　tell　you　your　own　history；　past；　present；　and　to　come。　The　road　to　riches　is　hard　and　rugged　to　the　likes　of　me；　but　your　good　father　made　it　smooth　and　easy　to　you；　sir。　You　had　only　to　take　the　money　of　a　lot　of　fools　that　fancy　they　can't　keep　it　themselves；　invest　it　in　Consols　and　Exchequer　bills；　live　on　half　the　profits；　put　by　the　rest；　and　roll　in　wealth。　But　this　was　too　slow　and　too　sure　for　you：　you　must　be　Rothschild　in　a　day；　so　you　went　into　blind　speculation；　and　flung　old　Mr。　Hardie's　savings　into　a　well。　And　now　for　the　last　eight　months　you　have　been　doctoring　the　ledgerHardie　winced　just　perceptibly〃You　have　put　down　our　gains　in　white；　our　losses　in　black；　and　so　you　keep　feeding　your　pocket…book　and　empty　our　tills；　the　pear　will　soon　be　ripe；　and　then　you　will　let　it　drop；　and　into　the　Bankruptcy　Court　we　go。　But；　what　you　forget；　fraudulent　bankruptcy　isn't　the　turnpike　way　of　trade：　it　is　a　broad　road；　but　a　crooked　one：　skirts　the　prison　wall；　sir；　and　sights　the　herring…pond。〃

An　agony　went　across　Mr。　Hardie's　great　face；　and　seemed　to　furrow　as　it　ran。

〃Not　but　what　you　are　all　right；　sir；〃　resumed　his　little　cat…like　tormentor；　letting　him　go　a　little　way；　to　nail　him　again　by…and…bye：　〃You　have　cooked　the　books　in　time：　and　Cocker　was　a　fool　to　you。　'Twill　be　all　down　in　black　and　white。　Great　sacrifices：　no　reserve：　creditors　take　everything；　dividend　fourpence　in　the　pound；　furniture　of　house　and　bank；　Mrs。　Hardie's　portrait；　and　down　to　the　coalscuttle。　Bankrupt　saves　nothing　but　his　honour；　andthe　six　thousand　pounds　or　so　he　has　stitched　into　his　old　great…coat：　hands　his　new　one　to　the　official　assignees；　like　an　honest　man。〃

Hardie　uttered　something　between　a　growl　and　a　moan。

〃Now　comes　the　per　contra：　poor　little　despised　Noah　Skinner　has　kept　genuine　books　while　you　have　been　preparing　false　ones。　I　took　the　real　figures　home　every　afternoon　on　loose　leaves；　and　bound　'em：　and　very　curious　they　will　read　in　court　alongside　of　yours。　I　did　it　for　amusement　o'　nights：　I'm　so　solitary；　and　so　fond　of　figures。　I　must　try　and　turn　them　to　profit；　for　I'm　out　of　place　now　in　my　old　age。　Dearee　me！　how　curious　that　you　should　go　and　pick　out　me　of　all　men　to　turn　into　the　streetlike　a　doglike　a　doglike　a　dog。〃

Hardie　turned　his　head　away；　and　in　that　moment　of　humiliation　and　abject　fear；　drank　all　the　bitterness　of　moral　death。

His　manhood　urged　him　to　defy　Skinner　and　return　to　the　straight　path；　cost　what　it　might。　But　how　could　he？　His　own　books　were　all　falsified。　He　could　place　a　true　_total_　before　his　creditors　by　simply　adding　the　contents　of　his　secret　hoard　to　the　assets　of　the　Bank；　but　with　this　true　arithmetical　result　he　could　not　square　his　books；　except　by　conjectural　and　fabricated　details；　which　would　be　detected；　and　send　him　to　prison；　for　who　would　believe　he　was　lying　in　figures　only　to　get　back　to　the　truth？　No；　he　had　entangled　himself　in　his　own　fraud；　and　was　at　the　mercy　of　his　servant。　He　took　his　line。　〃Skinner；　it　was　your　interest　to　leave　me　whilst　the　bank　stood；　then　you　would　have　got　a　place　directly；　but　since　you　take　umbrage　at　my　dismissing　you　for　your　own　good；　I　must　punish　youby　keeping　you。〃

〃I　am　quite　ready　to　stay　and　serve　you；　sir；〃　replied　Skinner　hastily　〃and　as　for　my　angry　words；　think　no　more　of　them！　It　went　to　my　heart　to　be　turned　away　at　the　very　time　you　need　me　most。〃

（〃Hypocritical　rogue！〃　thought　Hardie。）　〃That　is　true；　Skinner；〃　said　he；　〃I　do　indeed　need　a　faithful　and　sympathising　servant；　to　advise；　support；　and　aid　me。　Ask　yourself　whether　any　man　in　England　needs　a　conf