Page 148 - erewhon

gry that I had to give him a piece of the other kind of money
to pacify him. When I had done this he became civil direct-
ly. As soon as he was gone I ventured to take a second look,
and saw Zulora in the very act of giving a piece of paper
which looked like a cheque to one of the cashiers. He did
not examine it, but putting his hand into an antique coffer
hard by, he pulled out a quantity of metal pieces apparently
at random, and handed them over without counting them;
neither did Zulora count them, but put them into her purse
and went back to her seat after dropping a few pieces of the
other coinage into an alms box that stood by the cashier’s
side. Mrs. Nosnibor and Arowhena then did likewise, but a
little later they gave all (so far as I could see) that they had
received from the cashier back to a verger, who I have no
doubt put it back into the coffer from which it had been tak-
en. They then began making towards the curtain; whereon
I let it drop and retreated to a reasonable distance.
They soon joined me. For some few minutes we all kept
silence, but at last I ventured to remark that the bank was
not so busy to-day as it probably often was. On this Mrs.
Nosnibor said that it was indeed melancholy to see what lit-
tle heed people paid to the most precious of all institutions.
I could say nothing in reply, but I have ever been of opinion
that the greater part of mankind do approximately know
where they get that which does them good.
Mrs. Nosnibor went on to say that I must not think there
was any want of confidence in the bank because I had seen
so few people there; the heart of the country was thorough-
ly devoted to these establishments, and any sign of their

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