‘At length I could stand it no more. I went into his private room and said: “Mr. Craig, either you must cease your illegal proceedings, or you must release me from my oath of secrecy.”
‘He said flatly: “I shall do neither.”
‘Of course I could see that my request was foolish. He had me between his thumb and finger.
‘I then said: “Very well, Mr. Craig, there is one alternative left to me—I resign my position in the bank. You force me to do this.”
‘He said: “As you wish.”
‘He was relentless. So I was cast on the world, at my age. I had no hope of obtaining another situation. But what else could I do? By remaining in the service of the bank, and allowing Mr. Craig to make it the channel for disposing of false money, I was betraying my trust to the bank. The truth was I ought to have done a year before what I did then.
‘My savings amounted to about a hundred pounds.
‘Soon after this final step I discovered, to my equal grief and astonishment, that Miss Juana had left her father’s house—doubtless he had practically driven her forth—and was earning her living in a travelling circus. I ascertained where the circus was, and I had an interview with Miss Juana one night after the performance. Miss Juana was in her circus-dress, a curiously showy riding-habit, and she had paint on her dear face. The interview was inexpressibly painful to me. I cannot narrate it in full.
‘I said: “Miss Juana, marry me. I implore you! Never mind your father’s consent. Anything to save you from this. I implore you to marry me! I love you more than ever.”
‘I did not tell her that I had no means of livelihood now. I had absolutely forgotten the fact.