and
occasionally to ask the name of some other friend, "just for form's
sake," under that of his father. But his faithful clerk assured him
that his capital was increasing, as the books would show, and that
every thing was going on swimmingly. He took lodgings at the Tontine,
like a gentleman of means; was free and liberal in his expenditures;
invited his friends often to suppers of game and oysters, which
invitations were but too often accepted;--and as he knew nothing of his
own business, but continued to repose all confidence in his chief
clerk--taking his assurances that all was well,--he supposed it was so,
and began to fancy that he was actually becoming rich. It had ever been
a common saying in his mouth, that "the world owed him a living," and
he now verily believed that he had taken the wave of fortune at its
flood, and was floating along triumphantly upon the spring-tide of
wealth. Nor was he undeceived until the disclosure was too late for the
salvation of his credit. His notes began to come round too fast to be
promptly "lifted;" and just at the moment when a portion of his
increased capital would have been exceedingly convenient, greatly to
his surprise he was unable to find even that with which he had
commenced. The consequence was frequent visits from the notary; and his
indorsers began occasionally to receive an unceremonious call from
those officious legal gentlemen, Messrs. John Doe and Richard Roe.

At this stage of his unpromising mercantile career, the approaching
catastrophe was hastened by a very grievous and untoward event. After
having despatched a duck and a dozen of oysters at Bement's, he had
scarcely composed himself to sleep before he was aroused by an alarm of
fire, and astounded by the vociferations of a watchman under the
window, who thundered in his ears that it was his own store that was
now illuminating the venerable Dutch capital! Not an article escaped
the ravages of "the devouring element," to quote the newspaper account
of the following morning; and what was more melancholy still, his
faithful clerk, who always slept in the store, was for the moment
supposed to have perished in the flames! Morning came, however, and lo!
Mr. John Smith, junior, was seen to emerge from the portal of a house,
the fame whereof was no better than it should have been--it being none
other than one of those places of which the wise man would have said,
"the dead are there," and "the guests in the depths o