HiswaytakinghimpastTellson\'s，andhebothbankingatTellson\'sandknowingMr。LorryastheintimatefriendoftheManettes，itenteredMr。Stryver\'smindtoenterthebank，andrevealtoMr。LorrythebrightnessoftheSohohorizon。So，hepushedopenthedoorwiththeweakrattleinitsthroat，stumbleddownthetwosteps，gotpastthetwoancientcashiers，andshoulderedhimselfintothemustybackclosetwhereMr。Lorrysatatgreatbooksruledforfigures，withperpendicularironbarstohiswindowasifthatwereruledforfigurestoo，andeverythingunderthecloudswereasum。
`Halloa!\'saidMr。Stryver。`Howdoyoudo?Ihopeyouarewell!\'
ItwasStryver\'sgrandpeculiaritythathealwaysseemedtoobigforanyplace，orspace。HewassomuchtoobigforTellson\'s，thatoldclerksindistantcornerslookedupwithlooksofremonstrance，asthoughhesqueezedthemagainstthewall。TheHouseitself，magnificentlyreadingthepaperquiteinthefar-offperspective，lowereddispleased，asiftheStryverheadhadbeenbuttedintoitsresponsiblewaistcoat。
ThediscreetMr。Lorrysaid，inasampletoneofthevoicehewouldrecommendunderthecircumstances，`Howdoyoudo，Mr。Stryver?Howdoyoudo，sir?\'andshookhands。Therewasapeculiarityinhismannerofshakinghands，alwaystobeseeninanyclerkatTellson\'swhoshookhandswithacustomerwhentheHousepervadedtheair。Heshookinaself-abnegatingway，asonewhoshookforTellsonandCo。
`CanIdoanythingforyou，Mr。Stryver?\'askedMr。Lorry，inhisbusinesscharacter。