`You don't want me, I suppose?' said Jonas.

`I want you to put your name here,' he returned, glancing at him with a smile, `as soon as I have filled up the stamp. I may as well have your note of hand for that extra capital. That's all I want. If you wish to go home, I can manage Mr. Pecksniff now, alone. There is a perfect understanding between us.'

Jonas sat scowling at him as he wrote, in silence. When he had finished his writing, and had dried it on the blotting paper in his travelling-desk; he looked up, and tossed the pen towards him.

`What, not a day's grace, not a day's trust, eh?' said Jonas bitterly. `Not after the pains I have taken with to-night's work?'

`To night's work was a part of our bargain,' replied Montague; `and so was this.'

`You drive a hard bargain,' said Jonas, advancing to the table. `You know best. Give it here!'

Montague gave him the paper. After pausing as if he could not make up his mind to put his name to it, Jonas dipped his pen hastily in the nearest inkstand, and began to write. But he had scarcely marked the paper when he started back, in a panic.

`Why, what the devil's this?' he said. `It's bloody!'

He had dipped the pen, as another moment showed, into red ink. But he attached a strange degree of importance to the mistake. He asked how it had come there, who had brought it, why it had been brought; and looked at Montague, at first, as if he thought he had put a trick upon him. Even when he used a different pen, and the right ink, he made some scratches on another paper first, as half believing they would turn red also.

`Black enough, this time,' he said, handing the note to Montague. `Good-bye.'

`Going now! how do you mean to get away from here?'

`I shall cross early in the morning to the high road, before you are out of bed; and catch the day-coach, going up. good-bye!'

`You are in a hurry!'

`I have Something to do,' said Jonas. `good-bye!'

His friend looked after him as he went out, in surprise, which gradually gave place to an air of satisfaction and relief.

`It happens all the better. It brings about what I wanted, without any difficulty. I shall travel home alone.'