’No，indeed，notveryoften，’saidCrosbie，smiling。Whocantellwhohasnotfeltit，thepainthatgoeswiththeforcingofsuchsmiles？ButSirRafflewasnotanacutelyobservantperson，anddidnotseethatanythingwaswrong。
’Isupposeyou’redoingalittlebusiness？’saidSirRaffle。’Ifamanhaskeptatrifleofmoneybyhim，thiscertainlyisthetimeforturningit。Youhavealwaysbeenwideawakeaboutsuchthings。’
’No，indeed，’saidCrosbie。Ifhecouldonlymakeuphismindthathewouldshoothimself，woulditnotbeapleasantthingtoinflictsomecondignpunishmentonthisodiousmanbeforehelefttheworld？ButCrosbieknewthathewasnotgoingtoshoothimself，andheknewalsothathehadnopowerofinflictingcondignpunishmentonSirRaffleBuffle。Hecouldonlyhatetheman，andcursehiminwardly。
’Ah，ha！’saidSirRaffle。’Youwouldn’tbehereunlessyouknewwhereagoodthingistobepickedup。ButImustbeoff。I’montheRockyMountainCanalCompanyDirectory。I’mnotabovetakingmytwoguineasaday。Good—bye，myboy。RemembermetooldOptimist。’AndsoSirRafflepassedon，leavingCrosbiestillstandingatthecornerofthelane。
Whatwashetodo？ThisinterruptionhadatleastseemedtodriveLilyfromhismind，andtosendhisideasbacktotheconsiderationofhispecuniarydifficulties。Hethoughtofhisownbank，aWest—Endestablishmentatwhichhewaspersonallyknowntomanyoftheclerks，andwherehehadbeenheretoforetreated，withgreatconsideration。Butoflatehisbalanceshadbeenverylow，andmorethanoncehehadbeenremindedthathehadoverdrawnhisaccount。HeknewwellthatthedistinguishedfirmofBounce，Bounce，andBouncewouldnotcashabillforhimorlendhimmoneywithoutsecurity。Hedidnotevendaretoaskthemtodoso。
Onasuddenhejumpedintoacab，andwasdrivenbacktohisoffice。A
thoughthadcomeuponhim。Hewouldthrowhimselfuponthekindnessofafriendthere。Hithertohehadcontrivedtoholdhisheadhighabovetheclerksbelowhim，sohighbeforetheCommissionerswhowereabovehim，thatnonetheresuspectedhimtobeamanindifficulty。Itnotseldomhappensthataman’scharacterstandstoohighforhisinterest——sohighthatitcannotbemaintained，andsohighthatanyfallwillbedangerous。AndsoitwaswithCrosbieandhischaracterattheGeneralCommittedOffice。ThemantowhomhewasnowthinkingofapplyingashisfriendwasacertainMrButterwell，whohadbeenhispredecessorinthesecretary’schair，andwhonowfilledthelessonerousbutmoredignifiedpositionofaCommissioner。MrCrosbiehadsomewhatdespisedMrButterwell，andhadoflateyearshadnotbeenaversetoshowingthathedidso。HehadsnubbedMrButterwell，andMrButterwell，driventohiswits’ends，hadtriedafallortwowithhim。InallthesestrugglesCrosbiehadhadthebestofit，andButterwellhadgonetothewall。
Nevertheless，forthesakeofofficialdecency，andfromcertainwiseremembrancesofthesourcesofofficialcomfortandofficialdiscomfort，MrButterwallhadalwaysmaintainedashowofoutwardfriendshipwiththesecretary。Theysmiledandweregracious，calledeachotherButterwellandCrosbie，andabstainedfromallcat—and—dogabsurdities。
Nevertheless，itwasthefrequentlyexpressedopinionofeveryclerkintheofficethatMrButterwellhatedMrCrosbielikepoison。ThiswasthemantowhomCrosbiesuddenlymadeuphismindthathewouldhaverecourse。
Ashewasdrivenbacktotheofficeheresolvedthathewouldmakeaplungeatonceatthedifficulty。HeknewthatButterwellwasfairlyrich，andheknewalsothathewasgood—natured——withthatsortofsleepygood—naturewhichisnotactiveforphilanthropicpurposes，butwhichdislikestoincurthepainofrefusing。AndthenMrButterwellwasnervous，andifthethingwasmanagedwell，hemightbecheatedoutofanassent，beforetimehadbeengivenhiminwhichtopluckupcourageforrefusing。ButCrosbiedoubtedhisowncouragealso——fearingthatifhegavehimselftimeforhesitationhewouldhesitate，andthat，hesitating，hewouldfeeltheterribledisgraceofthethingandnotdoit。So，withoutgoingtohisowndesk，orriddinghimselfofhishat，hewentatoncetoButterwell’sroom。Whenheopenedthedoor，hefoundMrButterwellalone，readingTheTimes。’Butterwell，’saidhe，beginningtospeakbeforehehadevenclosedthedoor，’Ihavecometoyouingreatdistress。Iwonderwhetheryoucanhelpme；Iwantyoutolendmefivehundredpounds？Itmustbefornotlessthanthreemonths。’
MrButterwelldroppedthepaperfromhishands，andstaredatthesecretaryoverhisspectacles。
CHAPTERXLIV
’ISUPPOSEIMUSTLETYOUHAVEIT’
CrosbiehadbeenpreparingtheexactwordswithwhichheassailedMrButterwellforthelastquarterofanhour，beforetheywereuttered。
Thereisalwaysadifficultyinthechoice，notonlyofthewordswithwhichmoneyshouldbeborrowed，butofthefashionafterwhichtheyshouldbespoken。Thereistheslowdeliberatemanner，inusingwhichtheborrowerattemptstocarrythewished—forlenderalongwithhimbyforceofargument，andtoprovethatthedesiretoborrowshowsnoimprudenceonhisownpart，andthatatendencytolendwillshownoneonthepartoftheintendedlender。Itmaybesaidthatthismodefailsoftenerthananyother。Thereisthepiteousmanner——thepleaforcommiseration。’Mydearfellow，unlessyouwillseemethroughnow，uponmywordIshallbeverybadlyoff。’Andthismannermaybedividedagainintotwo。Thereisthepleapiteouswithalie，andthepleapiteouswithatruth。’Youshallhaveitagainintwomonthsassureasthesunrises。’Thatisgenerallythepleapiteouswithalie。Oritmaybeasfollows；’ItisonlyfairtosaythatIdon’tquiteknowwhenIcanpayitback。’Thisisthepleapiteouswithatruth，anduponthewholeI
thinkthatthisisgenerallythemostsuccessfulmodeofborrowing。Andthereistheassureddemand——whichbetokensacloseintimacy。’Oldfellow，canyouletmehavethirtypounds？No？Justputyourname，then，onthebackofthis，andI’llgetitdoneintheCity。’Theworstofthatmanneris，thatthebillsooftendoesnotgetitselfdoneintheCity。Thenthereisthesuddenattack——thatbeingthemannertowhichCrosbiehadrecourseinthepresentinstance。Thatthereareothermodesofborrowingbymeansofwhichyouthbecomesindebtedtoage，andlovetorespect，andignorancetoexperience，isamatterofcourse。ItwillbeunderstoodthatIamherespeakingonlyofborrowingandlendingbetweentheButterwellsandCrosbiesoftheworld。’Ihavecometoyouingreatdistress，’saidCrosbie。’Iwonderwhetheryoucanhelpme。I
wantyoutolendmefivehundredpounds。’MrButterwell，whenheheardthewords，droppedthepaperwhichhewasreadingfromhishand，andstaredatCrosbieoverhisspectacles。
’Yesitis——averylargesum。HalfthatiswhatIwantatonce；butI
shallwanttheotherhalfinamonth。’
’Ithoughtthatyouwerealwayssomuchabovetheworldinmoneymatters。Graciousme；——nothingthatIhaveheardforalongtimehasastonishedmemore。Idon’tknowwhy，butIalwaysthoughtyouhadyourthingssoverysnug。’
Crosbiewasawarethathehadmadeoneverygreatsteptowardssuccess。
TheideahadbeenpresentedtoMrButterwell’smind，andhadnotbeeninstantlyrejectedasascandalouslyiniquitousidea，asanideatowhichnoreceptioncouldbegivenforamoment。Crosbiehadnotbeentreatedastheneedyknife—grinder，andhadgroundtostanduponwhileheurgedhisrequest。’Ihavebeensopressedsincemymarriage，’hesaid，’thatithasbeenimpossibleformetokeepthingsstraight。’
’ButLadyAlexandrina——’
’Yes，ofcourse；Iknow。Idonotliketotroubleyouwithmyprivateaffairs；——thereisnothing，Ithink，sobadaswashingone’sdirtylineninpublic；——butthetruthis，thatIamonlynowfreefromtherapacityoftheDeCourcys。YouwouldhardlybelievemeifItoldyouwhatI’vehadtopay。Whatdoyouthinkoftwohundredandforty—fivepoundsforbringingherbodyoverhere，andburyingitatDeCourcy？’
’I’dhaveleftitwhereitwas。’
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