“Humph,” said Mr. Bluff, “money is very scarce but——Bless me!—yes—it's he! Excuse me a minute, Mr. Snook, there's a gentleman at the front counter whom I want particularly to speak to—I'll be back with you directly.” As he uttered these words, he rushed out, and, in passing one of the clerks on his way forward, he whispered—“Tell Scribe to look at Snook's account, and let me know directly.” He then went to the front counter, where several people were waiting to pay and receive money. “Fine weather this, Mr. Butt. What! you're not out of town like the rest of them?”
“No,” replied Mr. Butt, who kept a thriving gin-shop, “no, I sticks to my business—make hay while the sun shines—that's my maxim. Wife up at night—I up early in the morning.”
The banker chatted and listened with great apparent interest, till the closing of a huge book on which he kept his eye, told him that his whispered order had been attended to. He then took a gracious leave of Mr. Butt, and returned back to the counting-house with a slip of paper, adroitly put in his hand while passing, on which was written, “Peter Snook, Linen Draper, Bishopgate Street—old account—increasing gradually—balance 153l. 15s. 6d.—very regular.” “Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Snook,” said he, “but we must catch people when we can. Well, what is it you were saying you wanted us to do?”
“I should like to be able to overdraw just for a few days,” replied Peter.
“How much?”
“A hundred.”
“Won't fifty do?”
“No, not quite sir.”
“Well, you're an honest fellow, and don't come bothering us often, so I suppose we must not be too particular with you for this once.”
Leaving Bluff, Mr. Snook hurries to overtake Mr. Butt, the dealer in spirits, who had just left the banking house before himself, and to give that gentleman an order for a hogshead of the best gin. As he is personally unknown to Mr. Butt he hands him a card on which is written “Peter Snook, linen and muslin warehouse, No. —, Bishopgate street within, &c &c.” and takes occasion to mention that he purchases at the recommendation of Mr. Bluff. The gin is to be at Queenhithe the same evening. The spirit-dealer, as soon as his new customer has taken leave, revolves in his mind the oddity of a linen-draper's buying a hogshead of gin, and determines to satisfy himself of Mr. Snook's responsibility by a personal application to Mr. Bluff. Upon reaching the bank, however, he is told by the clerks that Mr. Bluff, being in attendance upon a committee of the House of Commons, will not be home in any reasonable time—but also that Peter Snook is a perfectly safe man. The gin is accordingly sent; and several other large orders for different goods, upon other houses, are all promptly fulfilled in the same manner. Meantime Ephraim is busily engaged at home in receiving and inspecting the invoices of the various purchases as they arrive, at which employment he is occupied until dusk, when his master makes his appearance in unusually high spirits. We must here be pardoned for copying about a page.