Rupert Godwin Author:Mary Elizabeth Braddon General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1867 Original Publisher: Ward, Lock and Tyler Subjects: Fiction / Classics Fiction / Literary Fiction / Psychological Literary Criticism / European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations an... more »d there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: CHAPTER IV. A NEW WAY TO PAY OLD DEBTS. Eupert Godwin went at once to the library, where Harley Westford was waiting for him. " Come, my dear Captain," he said, as he entered the spacious room, the walls of which were lined with books, whose costly and artistic bindings announced alike the wealth of a millionnaire and the perfect taste of an accomplished bibliopole, -- " come, Captain, let us understand each other fully. You want this money to-night?" " I do. My demand may perhaps be unreasonable, as this house is not your place of business, nor this an hour in which you are accustomed to transact business; but the peculiar circumstances of the case must plead my excuse. I tell you again, Mr. Godwin, to me this is a matter of life or death." " And if I refuse to give you the money tonight you will apply for it to-morrow, as soon as the bank opens ?" " Unquestionably." u And if then there was any delay in the production of your money, what would you do ?" " I would dog your footsteps day and night; I would haunt you like your own shadow; I would stand upon the steps of your banking-house in Lombard-street and proclaim you as a thief and a scoundrel, until that twenty thousand pounds was produced. My money!" cried the Captain in passionate accents; "it is not my money; it is my wife's money, my children's money; and you had better try to take my life than to rob me of that." " Come, come, my dear sir," said the banker,...« less