“I never expected to see you in a position like this,” he remarked. “I thought you always knew things in advance.”
“By the Lord, Montague!” muttered the other, “I've got a quarter of a million in this place.”
“I've got about one-fourth as much myself,” said Montague.
“What!” cried the Major. “Then what are you doing?”
“I'm going to leave it in,” said Montague. “I have reason to know that that report in the Despatch is simply a blunder, and that the institution is sound.”
“But, man, there'll be a run on it!” sputtered the old gentleman.
“There will, if everybody behaves like you. You don't need your quarter of a million to pay for your lunch, do you?”
The Major was too much amazed to find a reply.
“You put your money in a trust company,” the other continued, “and you know that it only keeps five per cent reserve, and is liable to pay a hundred per cent of its deposits. How can you expect it to do that?”
“I don't expect it,” said the Major, grimly; “I expect to be among the five per cent.” And he cast his eye up the line, and added, “I rather think I am.”