I forgot to say that the moon had
risen and was letting quite a lot of light into the bank. I had,
however, brought a bit of candle with me from my room; and in the
strong-room, which was down some narrow stairs behind the counter
in the banking-chamber, I had no hesitation in lighting it.
There was no window down there, and, though I could no longer
hear old Ewbank snoring, I had not the slightest reason to
anticipate disturbance from that quarter. I did think of locking
myself in while I was at work, but, thank goodness, the iron door
had no keyhole on the inside.
"Well, there were heaps of gold in the safe, but I only took what
I needed and could comfortably carry, not much more than a couple
of hundred altogether. Not a note would I touch, and my native
caution came out also in the way I divided the sovereigns between
all my pockets, and packed them up so that I shouldn't be like
the old woman of Banbury Cross. Well, you think me too cautious
still, but I was insanely cautious then. And so it was that,
just as I was ready to go, whereas I might have been gone ten
minutes, there came a violent knocking at the outer door.
"Bunny, it was the outer door of the banking-chamber! My candle
must have been seen! And there I stood, with the grease running
hot over my fingers, in that brick grave of a strong-room!
"There was only one thing to be done.
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