He felt half-ashamed of having allowed himself to be so swayed by his antipathy against John Hubbard, but all the way back to his lodgings he was haunted by the face of the man and the malignant scowl which had distorted it when he accused him of unfaithfulness and dishonesty in his work.
Even in his sleep during the night he could not divest himself of the consciousness of his vicious individuality—he seemed to be continually pursuing and persecuting him until his visions became so real that they finally drove him from his bed long before his usual hour for rising on Sunday morning.
It was not yet dawn when he arose on Sunday morning, and, upon looking from his window, Gerald saw that it was snowing.
He dressed himself with unusual care, for he hoped to see Allison again, and, loverlike, desired to make as good an appearance in her sight as possible. Then he hurried out for his morning meal, after which he wended his way to the bank, where he arrived about half-past eight.
The steps leading up to the door were covered with snow, and, strangely enough, as he mounted them, leaving a footprint upon every one, an uncomfortable sensation which was akin to guilt, began to creep over him, causing his errand to become suddenly repulsive to him, and making him long to go back to his room and remain there.
But, throwing back his head with an air of conscious rectitude—for was he not there at his employer’s command?—he quickly let himself into the building, removing the key and relocking the door on the inside to make sure that no one would follow him.
Passing through the inner door, he carefully wiped his feet upon the mat, and removed his overshoes lest they should leave tracks upon the floor—that same uncanny feeling which he had experienced outside still pursuing him.
The bank was so still every footfall echoed noisily through it, and sent a nervous shiver creeping down his spine.
“Good gracious!” he exclaimed, with an impatient shrug of his shoulders, “I am no thief stealing in here to rob the place! Why on earth should I feel like one? It is positively absurd!”
Proceeding directly to the vault, he drew the heavy bolts, unlocked and swung open the massive iron-plated door. The place was cold and gloomy, and again Gerald shivered with a nervous chill as he stepped within those solid walls which so securely guarded their hoarded treasure.