I walked from the banking house to the Langham Hotel--four long miles.

When I reached there I found a messenger waiting breathless to hand me a sealed note from the Barings.

Bismarck had locked up a hundred millions in Magdeburg.

The financial world was panic-stricken, and the Barings begged to say that under the circumstances they could not propose to Mr.Baring to go on with the matter.

There was as much chance that I should be struck by lightning on my way home as that an arrangement agreed to by the Barings should be broken.