Give me your hand, my son; you have saved the bank!"
The conference broke up with these eager words, and young Skinner
retired swiftly from the keyhole.
The next day Mr. Hardie senior came to a resolution which saddened
poor old Skinner. He called the clerks in and introduced them to Mr.
Richard as his managing partner.
"Every dog has his day," said the old gentleman. "Mine has been a long
one. Richard has saved the bank from a fatal error; Richard shall
conduct it as Hardie & Son. Don't be disconsolate, Skinner; I'll look
in on you now and then."
Hardie junior sent back all the proposals with a polite negative. He
then proceeded on a two-headed plan. Not to lose a shilling when the
panic he expected should come, and to make 20,000 pounds upon its
subsiding. Hardie & Son held Exchequer bills on rather a large scale.
They were at half a crown premium. He sold every one and put gold in
his coffers. He converted in the same way all his other securities
except consols. These were low, and he calculated they would rise in
any general depreciation of more pretentious investments. He drew out
his balance, a large one, from his London correspondent, and put his
gold in his coffers. He drew a large deposit from the Bank of England.
Whenever his own notes came into the bank, he withdrew them from
circulation. "They may hop upon Hardie & Son," said he, "but they
shan't run upon us, for I'll cut off their legs and keep them in my
safe."
One day he invited several large tradesmen in the town to dine with
him at the bank.
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