"'I'm not sure if I'll pull through myself,' said he.
"'Nonsense, Consul—with your credit——'
"'Still....'
"'Hermansen at the bank will let you have all you want. You're safe enough.'
"'I've lost courage altogether now. It's hopeless to keep going any longer in this place.'
"'But Lord save us, man, you mustn't go under. If you did, there'd be more than myself would have to go too.'
"'Well, you'll have to keep me out then, Holm, that's all.'
"Only fancy me backing a bill for a man like Pram when I was barely hanging on by my eyelids myself.
"Well, it was then the wonderful thing happened. Just in the middle of the day, after Pram had gone, came a letter enclosing £150—anonymous! I've never felt so glad in all my life, Vindt—it was like a message from Providence telling me to keep up my pluck—and Consul Pram as well!
"That afternoon I went round to his office, and backed a bill for £500. And next day Pram told me, laughingly, that he had got the bank to discount it, and Hermansen had said, 'Shouldn't have too much to do with that Holm if I were you, Pram. Not first-rate paper, really. But of course I'd take anything with your name on!'