“Exactly so; just as though you were my own brother. I borrowed five thousand dollars from the bank. It will be missed to-morrow. Lend me five one thousand dollar bills, or the same amount in some other form, for two hours to-morrow, and I shall be all right. You shall hold my stock as collateral. It is worth double the amount; and I will do the same thing for you when your cash is counted, if you want to make something on your own account.”
“I’ll do it,” I replied, without a moment of reflection.
“You are a good fellow, Glasswood. Your fortune is made, and so is mine.”
I should not have been so prompt in acceding to his request without the aid of the champagne. Though I knew what I was about well enough, I was reckless. I was fascinated with the idea of making five or ten thousand dollars in “coppers,” and thus discharging my obligation to the bank.
“We don’t always know when our directors intend to make an examination,” I suggested.
“I can always tell by the looks of them. No matter; there is time enough after they begin. Our banks are near enough to each other to enable us to make a connection,” laughed Cormorin.
We discussed the matter still further, but we were perfectly agreed. We separated with an arrangement to meet in the forenoon of the next day, to carry out the plan we had devised. I did not deem it prudent to go directly home, and I spent an hour on the Common, waiting for the fumes of the wine I had drank to work off. When I went to Needham Street, I found that Lilian was still out, probably purchasing her new black silk dress. She came at last, and we ate a dried-up dinner at five o’clock. She had purchased her dress, and was in the best of spirits.
The next day, when I went to the bank, I quietly transferred six thousand dollars from my drawer to my pocket, with hardly a tithe of the compunction with which I had appropriated my first loan. O, I intended to be honest! The bank was not to lose a penny by me. For five thousand of the money, Cormorin was to give me collateral worth ten thousand in the market. With the other thousand I intended to pay my uncle, and silence his carping for all time.
Cormorin was punctual in his call for his share of the funds. He handed me the certificates and I gave him the money. In the course of the forenoon Captain Halliard, faithful to his threat, paid me a visit. I was not ready for him then, but I showed him one-half of Cormorin’s certificates. They did not abate his persistency for payment of the note, and I promised to pay him at three o’clock in the afternoon, without fail. As I had the money in my pocket, I could safely make the promise.