The cashier behind his screen saw nothing of this play of the
emotions. He returned nonchalantly to his station, and asked, in
commonplace tones:

"How will you have the money, madam?"

"Gold, if you please," she replied almost in a whisper, a rosy flush
chasing the whiteness from her face, while a deep sigh marked the
passing of a crisis.

At this juncture an extraordinary thing happened. The cashier counted
out some golden coins, and passed them through the aperture toward
their new owner.

"Thank you," said the girl. Then, without touching the money, she
turned like one hypnotized, her unseeing eyes still taking no heed of
the big Lieutenant, and passed rapidly out of the bank, The cashier
paid no regard to this abandonment of treasure. He was writing some
hieroglyphics on the cashed check.

"By Jove!" gasped the Lieutenant aloud, springing forward as he spoke,
sweeping the coins into his hand, and bolting for the door. This was
an action which would have awakened the most negligent cashier had he
been in a trance. Automatically he whisked out a revolver which lay in
an open drawer under his hand.

"Stop, you scoundrel, or I fire!" he shouted, but the Lieutenant had
already disappeared. Quick as thought the cashier darted into the
passage, and without waiting to unfasten the low door which separated
the public and private rooms of the bank, leaped over it, and,